Propose a new model to explain the origin of the Moon

2017/01/13 Helene Armentia Artzak - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Astronomia

According to the general theory about the origin of the Moon, the Moon was formed with fragments released by an object the size of Mars when colliding with Earth. This theory, based on a single shock, explains some aspects of the Ilargia-Earth system, but does not clarify what is related to a composition similar to the Earth and the Moon.

Now, however, researchers at the Weizmann Science Institute of Israel have proposed that the Moon was formed following a series of collisions. According to the new model, planetary waste was released when about 20 objects (of size between Earth and Mars) hit Earth. The union of these residues was giving rise to “moons” until the Moon finally emerged. The model responds to the current characteristics of the Earth-Moon system, researchers concluded.

The study was published in the journal Nature Geoscience.