Where Did the Moon Come From?

Scientists come up with a new idea for the origin of the Moon.

Dr. Edward Young describes a “violent, head-on collision.”
Dr. Edward Young describes a “violent, head-on collision.”

It helps light up the night sky. It controls the tides. And it’s the only natural satellite for our planet. It’s the Moon! But where in the world did it come from?

Most scientists agree on the basic idea. They believe that two planets smashed into each other about 4.5 billion years ago. One was the very young Earth. The other was a slightly smaller planet called Theia. The force of the crash broke off huge pieces of rocks, which later formed the Moon.

For a long time, people thought Theia hit just the edge of the earth. Scientists described it as a “powerful sideswipe.” A new study says this is not true. “The Moon was formed by a violent, head-on collision between the early Earth and ... Theia,” wrote lead author Dr. Edward Young. The scientists from Los Angeles, California, published their report on Friday.

Moon rocks helped the researchers develop this idea. From 1969 to 1972, astronauts brought back 842 pounds (382 kg) of rocks and pebbles from the Moon. Scientists studied the chemicals from those rocks. Then they compared the results with rocks from Hawaii and Arizona. “We don’t see any difference,” explained Young. That proved to him that Earth and the Moon came from the same object — caused by a direct hit.

But what if Theia had missed Earth? “We may well have not had a Moon,” Young told News-O-Matic. “Venus, for example, is in many ways like Earth,” he explained. “Yet it does not have a moon.”

“It is fun to look up at the Moon,” added the scientist. “And realize it is there because of a giant impact between planets as they were forming in the solar system.”


Last updated: February 2, 2016, 5:02 P.M. (ET)
By Russell Kahn (Russ)

Photo credits: Shutterstock Citations: Interview with Dr. Edward Young. January 30, 2016. Email.
Discovery
Dr. Edward Young describes a “violent, head-on collision.”
Dr. Edward Young describes a “violent, head-on collision.”

Where Did the Moon Come From?

Scientists come up with a new idea for the origin of the Moon.

It helps light up the night sky. It controls the tides. And it’s the only natural satellite for our planet. It’s the Moon! But where in the world did it come from?

Most scientists agree on the basic idea. They believe that two planets smashed into each other about 4.5 billion years ago. One was the very young Earth. The other was a slightly smaller planet called Theia. The force of the crash broke off huge pieces of rocks, which later formed the Moon.

For a long time, people thought Theia hit just the edge of the earth. Scientists described it as a “powerful sideswipe.” A new study says this is not true. “The Moon was formed by a violent, head-on collision between the early Earth and ... Theia,” wrote lead author Dr. Edward Young. The scientists from Los Angeles, California, published their report on Friday.

Moon rocks helped the researchers develop this idea. From 1969 to 1972, astronauts brought back 842 pounds (382 kg) of rocks and pebbles from the Moon. Scientists studied the chemicals from those rocks. Then they compared the results with rocks from Hawaii and Arizona. “We don’t see any difference,” explained Young. That proved to him that Earth and the Moon came from the same object — caused by a direct hit.

But what if Theia had missed Earth? “We may well have not had a Moon,” Young told News-O-Matic. “Venus, for example, is in many ways like Earth,” he explained. “Yet it does not have a moon.”

“It is fun to look up at the Moon,” added the scientist. “And realize it is there because of a giant impact between planets as they were forming in the solar system.”

Last updated: February 2, 2016, 5:02 P.M. (ET)
By Russell Kahn (Russ)

Discovery
Dr. Edward Young describes a “violent, head-on collision.”
Dr. Edward Young describes a “violent, head-on collision.”

It helps light up the night sky. It controls the tides. And it’s the only natural satellite for our planet. It’s the Moon! But where in the world did it come from?

Most scientists agree on the basic idea. They believe that two planets smashed into each other about 4.5 billion years ago. One was the very young Earth. The other was a slightly smaller planet called Theia. The force of the crash broke off huge pieces of rocks, which later formed the Moon.

For a long time, people thought Theia hit just the edge of the earth. Scientists described it as a “powerful sideswipe.” A new study says this is not true. “The Moon was formed by a violent, head-on collision between the early Earth and ... Theia,” wrote lead author Dr. Edward Young. The scientists from Los Angeles, California, published their report on Friday.

Moon rocks helped the researchers develop this idea. From 1969 to 1972, astronauts brought back 842 pounds (382 kg) of rocks and pebbles from the Moon. Scientists studied the chemicals from those rocks. Then they compared the results with rocks from Hawaii and Arizona. “We don’t see any difference,” explained Young. That proved to him that Earth and the Moon came from the same object — caused by a direct hit.

But what if Theia had missed Earth? “We may well have not had a Moon,” Young told News-O-Matic. “Venus, for example, is in many ways like Earth,” he explained. “Yet it does not have a moon.”

“It is fun to look up at the Moon,” added the scientist. “And realize it is there because of a giant impact between planets as they were forming in the solar system.”

Last updated: February 2, 2016, 5:02 P.M. (ET)
By Russell Kahn (Russ)

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Earth’s Moon is large compared to the size of the planet. Dr. Edward Young from the University of California Man first walked on the Moon on July 20, 1969. A view of Earth from the surface of the Moon
Earth’s Moon is large compared to the size of the planet.
Dr. Edward Young from the University of California
Man first walked on the Moon on July 20, 1969.
A view of Earth from the surface of the Moon

Fact

Earth was very young when the crash happened with Theia. It was only about 100 million years old.

Act

Take a long look at the Moon. Try to see if you can see the ways that it is similar to Earth!

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Sources

Photo credits: Shutterstock Citations: Interview with Dr. Edward Young. January 30, 2016. Email.

Author

Author

Russell Kahn
Russell loves baseball and outer space. His favorite team is the Yankees, and his favorite planet is Earth. His son Owen is 12, and his daughter Aubrey is 10.

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Dr. Edward Young describes a “violent, head-on collision.”
Discovery
Where Did the Moon Come From?

Scientists come up with a new idea for the origin of the Moon.

It helps light up the night sky. It controls the tides. And it’s the only natural satellite for our planet. It’s the Moon! But where in the world did it …

February 3, 2016
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