Where did the Moon come from: a new study by scientists challenges established theories

The origin of the Moon has been the subject of scientific debate for many years. But a new study challenges established theories about the early history of the Earth's satellite.

Scientists have finally come to a consensus that a Mars-sized object crashed into the Earth billions of years ago. And the debris merged to form the Moon, ScienceAlert writes.

According to current research, the Moon was formed about 4.5 billion years ago, shortly after the birth of the solar system. It began with a large-scale collision between the early Earth and a Mars-sized protoplanet called Theia. The impact sent debris into orbit around our planet. Most of the debris cloud settled back on Earth, most of it formed the Moon, but some was ejected from the Earth-Moon system.

Scientist Stephen Lepp and his team from the University of Nevada studied the dynamics of the material ejected during the impact.

According to scientists, shortly after its formation, the Moon orbited the Earth at a distance of about 5% of its current value (average distance of 384,400 km). But slowly, due to tidal effects, it moved away to its current height.

The surface of the Moon was mostly molten magma, which gradually cooled and solidified to form the familiar crust, mantle, and core we see today.

Scientists argue that heavy bombardment cut the lunar surface with impact basins and craters, and volcanic activity led to the slow formation of a lunar sea.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes