What would happen if the moon did not exist?

Eventually, if the solar system lasts long enough, Earth’s rotation will become tidally locked to the moon, so that the length of one day will equal that of one lunar month. read more

Without the moon, a day on earth would only last six to twelve hours. There could be more than a thousand days in one year! That's because the Earth's rotation slows down over time thanks to the gravitational force -- or pull of the moon -- and without it, days would go by in a blink. read more

Suppose, for the moment, that Earth did not rotate (a). In this case, the two high tides would lie on the straight line from the center of the Moon to the center of Earth. The gravitational force would be directly from the center of the Moon to the center of Earth. Now take a look at what happens on the rotating Earth (b). read more