This NASA page has some really cool simple visualizations of how tides work. They are kind of strange in ways you don't expect.

https://science.nasa.gov/moon/tides/

Now think about pouring a bucket of water out on a table. It’s easier to slide the water around on the table rather than lift it directly upwards. When the Moon’s gravity pulls at Earth, the water doesn’t float outward, it just gets pushed and squeezed around on the globe, directed by both gravitational pull and other forces, until it ultimately ends up bulging out on the side closest to the Moon and the side farthest away.

I don't know how to upload gifs to lemmy but check them out on the NASA page they are very satisfying and cool and explain the science wonderfully!

By far the coolest and most unique aspect of the Earth-Lunar system is solar eclipses. The size and orbital distance is just right to allow for the spectacle we get today.

This is even more true when you consider that the Moon's average orbital radius is increasing by 3" (76mm) each year. In a million years, the Moon will be too far away to fully cover the Sun. A few million years ago it was close enough to fully cover the corona

I don’t recall what I was reading, but I once read about a lot of things lined up perfectly for evolution on Earth.

• In Sol’s habitable zone
• Has a moon
• Rotates on tilted axis
• Stable rotation and orbit
• Has magnetic field
• Has Ozone Layer
• Big planet (Jupiter) close enough to catch random asteroids, but not close enough to harm Earth

It’s bonkers that it all worked out that way so that I could be here, right now, reading your post and responding. It really boggles the mind and I don’t want to waste my time.

Welp, guess I’m gonna go look up random curse words in the dictionary. ಠᴗಠ

Our planet is scifi as hell. We've got natural magnetic shielding to protect our UV-blocking ozone layer from solar winds. This planet is so damn cozy<3

I think it’s more wild that not only are big moons rare, ours is literally the same size as the sun from our point of view.

It also makes almost exactly 13 laps for every lap the earth makes.

Tidal currents are the least outlandish phenomenon. Most planets have moons and those that do all have tides. Most known ones don't have oceans and land.

That being said the tides tend to be stronger in e.g. the north sea as opposed to the Mediterranean.

Winter is kinda wild too. The fact that the planet is tilted just enough to make it cold part of the year, but not so cold that it kills everything, and many plants and animals have integrated this into their life cycles.

Makes you appreciate how much daily life depends on celestial geometry.

So basically ... like Miller's Planet?

I get similar feelings about earth when I can see the moon during the daytime. Something about seeing it with clear craters against the blue sky makes it feel much more like we’re just floating in space with a cratered barren partner.

Ah btw, this is the gravitational form (geoid) of earth:

The meters is the height difference of orbit.