By European Space Agency (ESA) June 19, 2025
Collected at: https://scitechdaily.com/the-moons-explosive-backstory-how-a-planetary-smash-spawned-our-nightlight/
For over four billion years, the Moon has been orbiting Earth — but where did it come from?
The Moon has been a constant companion to Earth for over four billion years. But how did it get here in the first place? In an engaging video, planetary geologist Ralf Jaumann from the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) dives into four major scientific theories that aim to explain the Moon’s mysterious origins.
Exploring the Moon’s Possible Beginnings
Scientists have proposed several ideas to explain how the Earth-Moon system came to be. One theory suggests that Earth captured the Moon as it passed nearby in space. Another idea is that a fast-spinning young Earth flung off material that eventually formed the Moon. A third possibility is that Earth and the Moon formed side by side, from the same cloud of material in the early solar system.
The Leading Theory: A Violent Past
The leading explanation among scientists today is the giant impact theory. According to this idea, a Mars-sized object slammed into the early Earth. The collision was so intense that it blew apart a large portion of Earth’s mantle, hurling debris into orbit. Over time, that orbiting material came together to form the Moon. This theory also helps explain why Moon rocks are strikingly similar to those found on Earth.
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