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From: leichter@yale-com.UUCP (Jerry Leichter)
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: Re: what is the voltage (EARTH based) of ground on the MOON?
Message-ID: <2476@yale-com.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 28-Nov-83 15:57:38 EST
Article-I.D.: yale-com.2476
Posted: Mon Nov 28 15:57:38 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 29-Nov-83 06:01:42 EST
References: nsc.502
Lines: 11

The potential difference between the Moon and Earth must be extremely small.
If it weren't, the repulsive or attractive force between the two would rapidly
be large enough, compared to gravity, to significantly affect the orbits.  (Note
that up until 20 years or so ago, we had little independent verification of
the Moon's mass - although measures of Earth mass go back 150 years.  Now that
we have orbited satelites around the moon, we can get the moon's mass pretty
accurately.)

I have no idea what limits these calculations would actually place, but they
must be pretty tight.
							-- Jerry