Isaac Asimov, American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University and Science Fiction writer. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time.
“We cannot help but come to the conclusion that the Moon by rights ought not to be there. The fact that it is, is one of the strokes of luck almost too good to accept… Small planets, such as Earth, with weak gravitational fields, might well lack satellites… … In general then, when a planet does have satellites, those satellites are much smaller than the planet itself. Therefore, even if the Earth has a satellite, there would be every reason to suspect… that at best it would be a tiny world, perhaps 30 miles in diameter. But that is not so. Earth not only has a satellite, but it is a giant satellite, 2160 miles in diameter. How is it then, that tiny Earth has one? Amazing.”
“The Moon, which has no atmosphere and no magnetic field, is basically a freak of nature”
The moon is a damned enigma
https://redice.tv/news/the-moon-an-unexplained-phenomenon
My favorite quote:
“It seems much easier to explain the nonexistence of the moon than its existence.”
Yet it is absolutely necessary to be there for there to be life on earth. Almost as if it were planned and designed that way. Hummmmmmmm.....
And its apparent size in the sky is nearly identical to that of the Sun. That’s why total solar eclipses happen, but happen rarely. What’s up with that?
Asimov’s point is a good one. If the article were correct, then the probability of other small planets having large moons would be larger. If a lot of small hits should produce a big moon, then Venus and Mars should have big moons. That Earth appears so unusual argues for the single big hit in just the right way at just the right angle theory.
And this too:
“The Moon’s size and distance contribute to a wonderful coincidence for those of us who live here on Earth. The Moon is about 400 times smaller than the Sun, but it also just happens to be about 400 times closer. The result is that from Earth, they appear to be the same size. And when its orbit around Earth takes the Moon directly between Earth and the Sun, the Moon blocks our view of the Sun in what we call a solar eclipse. This is just the same as when you use your thumb to block your view of something that is both much larger and much farther away.”
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/review/dr-marc-earth/moon-general.html
“Coincidence that sun and moon seem same size?”
“Bottom line: The sun’s diameter is about 400 times larger than that of the moon – and the sun is also about 400 times farther from Earth. So the sun and moon appear nearly the same size as seen from Earth. What are the odds?”
http://earthsky.org/space/coincidence-that-sun-and-moon-seem-same-size