A New Theory About the Formation of the Moon Has Been Presented

A group of researchers from the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (LPL) has developed a new theory about the giant collision thought to have caused the Moon to form. As a result of current research, there are several hypotheses about the formation of the Moon. These are known as the Great Collision Hypothesis, the Planetary Splitting Hypothesis, and the Capture Hypothesis. However, the most accepted one is the Great Collision Hypothesis, which is accepted to have emerged as a result of the collision of the Moon with Theia and the Earth. According to this hypothesis, 4.5 billion years ago, a planet called Theia crashed into the Earth, and large pieces of our young planet were scattered into space. The fragments scattered into space formed the celestial body we now call the Moon by gravity.

However, a new theory has emerged with new studies. Erik Asphaug and his colleagues, who conducted the research, repeated this giant collision that took place billions of years ago with a simulation they developed through software. Thanks to this simulation, they noticed something that they thought was more suitable for the formation of the Moon.

The moon was formed not by one giant collision, but by several encounters.

Professor Erik Asphaug of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory explained that the spectacular event that led to the formation of the Moon was not one giant collision, but multiple repeated encounters. Theia and Earth collided more than thought. The “hit and run” collision appeared first. About 1 million years later, an encounter took place again, but at a slower pace due to the impact of this battering. According to the professor, a very strong collision would cause pieces to separate from Theia, not from Earth.

However, the Moon’s isotopic properties are remarkably similar to Earth’s. That’s why Asphaug noted that it’s slower and has multiple collisions. According to Asphaug, “The double collision illuminates the isotopic similarity of the Earth and the Moon and findings that cannot be explained by a single collision. ”

According to another statement by the team conducting the study, these hit-and-run collisions are not limited to the Earth and Moon systems only. Such collisions were also quite common in accretion and mergers in the Solar System.