Science: Moon Has Vanished – Cause Unclear
Berlin – The Earth's moon vanished from its orbit on Tuesday evening at 9:17 PM CET. This has been independently confirmed by the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) in Potsdam, the European Southern Observatory (ESO), and the U.S. Naval Observatory.
Observations indicate that the object has been undetectable since the aforementioned time. Neither radar nor optical telescopes are yielding any signals. Experts describe the event as a sudden loss of the moon's gravitational influence on Earth.
"We are seeing an immediate cessation of the lunar tidal component in our measurement data," said Prof. Dr. Anja Keller of the GFZ. "The Earth continues to move along its orbit around the Sun. Based on current information, no short-term impacts on the solid Earth are to be expected."
Initial effects are becoming apparent along the coastlines: Tides are reverting to a level determined solely by solar influence—an amplitude amounting to roughly one-third of their previous magnitude. The Federal Association of German Inland Shipping announced that schedules for the North and Baltic Seas are being adjusted.
The Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance stated that there are currently no indications of earthquakes, tsunamis, or other immediate hazards to Germany. The International Space Station (ISS) also reported no anomalies.
The cause of the disappearance remains unknown. To date, neither collisions nor other known astronomical events have been detected.
Governments and space agencies in several countries have established crisis response teams.
Further observations are currently underway. A press conference hosted by the European Space Agency (ESA) has been scheduled for Wednesday morning.
German Pressur Agency