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From the Earth to the Moon: How did this giant impact change our universe?
The Giant-impact Hypothesis helps explain the formation of the Moon and its relationship to the Earth.
About 4.5 billion years ago, Earth collided with a protoplanet about the size of Mars in a giant collision known as the Giant Impact Hypothesis, sometimes simply referred to as the Theia Impact. According to this hypothesis, the planet, named Theia, represented a parent body that was broken apart by an impact and eventually formed the Moon.
The impact was a direct one, resulting in the mixing of debris between the two parent bodies, setting the stage for the birth of the Moon, according to the latest analysis of lunar rocks. Many astronomers believe that this hypothesis is currently the best theory to explain the formation of our moon.
When astronomers observed the movement of the Earth and Moon, they found that their rotations and orbits were closely related.
Evidence supporting this hypothesis includes the fact that the Moon's orbit is similar to the Earth's rotation and that the two have nearly identical stable isotope ratios, indicating a common origin. In addition, the angular momentum of the Earth-Moon system is unusually high, which also indicates the possibility of a more violent impact event.
Further research also found that there is a relatively small iron core inside the moon, which is significantly different from the relative density of the earth. This is consistent with the impact theory, in which Theia's core may have penetrated Earth's core, leaving only the lighter crust and mantle material on the Moon.
"The moon's rocks show that it was once molten."
However, this theory also faces some challenges. Scientists are still studying how the Moon maintains the stability of its composition and periodically separates from the Earth system after such violent impacts. In addition, the almost identical oxygen isotope ratios have sparked further discussion about the formation process of the Moon.
The formation history of the moon
As early as 1898, George Darwin proposed the hypothesis that the moon and the earth were once one, and believed that the high-speed rotation of the earth caused the moon to separate. However, this theory fails to effectively explain many observations. It wasn't until 1946 that Canadian geologist Reginald Daly challenged Darwin's theory and proposed that the Moon was formed by a giant impact.
At a conference in 1975, several scientists further developed this view into the mainstream theory of the formation of the moon. The proposal of this collision theory not only explains the composition of the moon, but also, to some extent, redefines our understanding of the formation of the earth and other planets.
Theia's formation theory has triggered further exploration by many scientists, revealing the process of how planets co-evolve in interstellar space.
Composition and influence of the moon
Lunar rock samples show high similarity to the material from which they were isolated from Earth. Recent studies have shown this not only improves our understanding of the Moon's geology, but also deepens our understanding of the formation of the Solar System.
The researchers pointed out that some geological features of the moon have similar compositions to those of the earth, but the moon is relatively lacking in volatile elements, which suggests that such elements may have been evaporated by excessive energy during early giant impacts. Or abandoned.
"The volatile elements on the moon are significantly less than those on Earth."
However, there are still many problems with the ratio of elements within different contrasts. This makes scientists think more deeply about whether there is another formation process that is not fully understood, and perhaps it is necessary to explore excited theories such as equilibrium models and direct collision models.
Continued scientific exploration
As research on Theia and its formation continues, scientists are not only looking for answers in data models, but are also constantly discovering new evidence to verify or revise existing theories.
In 2018, the research team further analyzed the radiation heat and temperature distribution during the impact, revealing that the birth of the moon was a more complicated process. Even so, how to explain the connection between the Earth and the Moon in the vast context of the solar system remains an unsolved mystery.
"As new technologies emerge, answers to the moon's formation history will become clearer."
Scientists' exploration does not stop at finding answers, but seeks deeper questions. This makes us wonder, what stories in other universes are still waiting to be discovered?
