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How the moon formed. Several hypotheses out there.

[quantamagazine.org]

Lukian 8 Aug 3
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2

Nice visual of all the 'current' 'main' moon creation ideas.

2

Excellent article on this in Sky and Telescope magazine, August issue.

1

In case you want to nerd out more and have way too much information to process:

[advances.sciencemag.org]

vcg1234 Level 7 Aug 3, 2018
1

Makes you wonder If there has to be an impact involved. What rules out the theory that the moon formed at the same time as the earth, out of similar material, and was later knocked askew?

Denker Level 7 Aug 3, 2018

This is what the article is saying: But modern measurements of troctolite 76536, and other rocks from the moon and Mars, have cast doubt on this story. In the past five years, a bombardment of studies has exposed a problem: The canonical giant impact hypothesis rests on assumptions that do not match the evidence. If Theia hit Earth and later formed the moon, the moon should be made of Theia-type material. But the moon does not look like Theia — or like Mars, for that matter. Down to its atoms, it looks almost exactly like Earth.

While I suppose this is physically possible by chance, I think it is unlikely though. Inner planets do not have moons - Mars' moons are captured asteroids, Mercury and Venus have none. Why would a planet form with a significant mass "partner" in this particular location and not elsewhere in the inner solar system? Some sort of major collision is more likely.

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