We Asked a NASA Scientist: Where Did Our Moon Come From?

Artist’s impression of the Moon-forming occasion. Many moon development theories have actually been recommended by scientists. The most widely-accepted description, backed by the readily available proof, presumes that the moon resulted from a huge crash in between the proto-Earth and another protoplanet roughly the size of Mars, typically referred to as “Theia.” Credit: NASA/JPL-CalTech/T. Pyle Where did our Moon originate from? Well, in fact, there have actually been a number of theories over lots of years. Earlier variations of lunar development theories consisted of capture, where the Moon would have been a strayed planetoid. Another variation was fission, where the Earth was spinning so quick that it would have ejected out of the Earth and after that formed its own body. This caused our present theory, the huge impactor theory. This accident was throughout the late phases of planetary development throughout our whole solar system, when worlds were still extremely brand-new and extremely much forming. This occurred when Earth was simply an embryo– an infant world, and this was really in a crash course crash with Theia, which is a Mars-size planetoid. And this crash ripped apart early Earth’s crust. Which crust then coalesced. It grew out of control into an entirely different entity, which we now call the Moon. Where did our Moon come from? Well, presently, our understanding is that the Earth had actually hit a Mars-sized item called Theia. As soon as we send out future astronauts to the lunar surface area once again, who understands? We might really have an entire brand-new theory in the coming years. Where did our Moon originate from? For many years, there have actually been a number of theories, however a lot of researchers believe it’s most likely that a Mars-sized item smashed into Earth, developing what we now see in the sky. NASA researcher Caitlin Ahrens shines a light on the Moon’s mystical origins. Credit: NASA We Asked a NASA Expert Video SeriesIs NASA Really Crashing a Spacecraft Into an Asteroid?Is NASA Aware of Any Earth-Threatening Asteroids?When Was the Last Time an Asteroid Hit Earth?How Did Perseverance Mars Rover Pick Its Landing Spot?What if an Asteroid Was Going To Hit Earth?Did Mars Ever Look Like Earth?What Are Lagrange Points?What Are the Trojan Asteroids?Is There Oxygen on Mars?Does NASA Know About All the Asteroids?Do Aliens Exist?Is There Weather on Mars?Will an Asteroid Ever Hit Earth?Is Mars Habitable?Could Microbes Survive a Trip to Mars?