Scientists continue to research about the collision that caused the formation of our planet’s only natural satellite, the Moon. Finally, scientists put forward a theory that the collision that formed the Moon was a gigantic collision.
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. As a result of current research, there are several hypotheses about the formation of the Moon. These Great Collision Hypothesis, Planetary Splitting Hypothesis and Capture Hypothesis known as. However, the most accepted one is that the Moon emerged as a result of the collision of Theia and the Earth. The Great Collision Hypothesis. According to this hypothesis 4.5 billion years ago theia a planet named To the Earth crashed and large chunks of our young planet broke off scattered into space. Pieces scattered into space gravity formed the celestial body we now call the Moon.
However, a new theory has emerged with new studies. Erik Asphaug and his colleagues, who conducted the research, created this giant collision that took place billions of years ago with a software they developed. by simulation they repeated. Thanks to this simulation, they realized 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.
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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 more collided. Firstly “hit and run” collision occurred. Approximately 1 million years later again, but with the effect of this battering more slowly an encounter took place. According to the professor, a very strong collision would cause fragments to separate not from Earth, but from Theia.
However, the moon isotopic Its features are remarkably similar to Earth. Therefore, Asphaug, more slowly and more than one He stated that there was a collision. According to Asphaug “The double collision reveals the isotopic similarity of the Earth and the Moon and findings that cannot be explained by a single collision. illuminates.”
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 in the Solar System agglomeration and in mergers was also quite common.