Baruch Waverman, age 10, for his questions

What use is the moon to the earth?

Lets try to imagine what our world would be like without her golden moon. Of course, there would be no moonlit nights, We should have to make do with the light of the faraway stars. We should also have to give up the splendid sight of the solar eclipse. Ands most important, there would be no tides washing up and down on the beaches

Maybe we could manage without the beauty of moonlight and the fun of checking on the changing quarters, even though a full moon is very helpful if you happen to be traveling on a dark night. Maybe we could give up the great spectacles of the solar and lunar. eclipses, though the astronomers would lose the chance to study the sun given them by the solar eclipse,

But could we do without the tides? True, the tide creeps up and levels our sand castles, When we come out from a dip in the ocean we might find our shoes far from the waterts edge, for the tide always seems to choose this time to go out. It leaves our shoes high and dry and we have to walk over stones and starfish.

Since the tides are caused by the moon# you may blame the moon for upsetting your day at the beach. But without the tide you would not want to play on the beach at all. Twice each day the rising waters swish over the sand twice each day they carry away old seaweed wreckage and dead fish, Twice each day they level the sand and wash it clean. Could you imagine how dirty and unhealthy your beach would be without its twice‑daily washing?

The big ship in the harbor needs the tides, too. It waits in low

water left high and pretty dry, The rising tide floats it again and carries it out to sea on a strong current. Even the little fishing boats need the tide. They need high water to float them from their wharves* They need the waters brought in by the tides from the deep ocean. For these watery bring the fish for the catch close to shore,

And all the great ocean needs the tides. The heaving water churns up warm water with cool, It mixes fresh water from the rivers with the waters of the salty sea. The fishes need to have their seawater mixed and blended, All the creatures that live in the sea depend upon the changing$ heaving tides. So do the seals and polar bears that feed on the fish& And so do the little creatures, the starfish, the sea anemones, the oysters, the clams that live in rocky pools and shallow tidal sea gardens.

So without the moon our seas and beaches would be no fun at all.  There would be no moonlight and no showy eclipses, And, worst of all$ there would be no moon to watch grow from a silver sliver to a big, round golden face, And these are just a few of the reasons why the moon is useful to the earth,