Sunday, 19 April 2015

Rocks reveal secret of Moon's formation

Artist's impression of Theia colliding with Earth (Image: NASA/JPL)


There are a number of ideas about where the Moon came from, but, based on orbital mechanics, the accepted theory is that about 150 million years after the Solar System formed some 4.6 billion years ago, the primordial Earth was struck by an object the size of Mars called Theia. Out of the debris of this massive impact, the Moon was formed. Scientists at the University of Maryland (UMD) have for the first time found evidence to support this theory by analyzing the isotopic “fingerprints” of rock samples brought back by the Apollo astronauts. .. Continue Reading Rocks reveal secret of Moon's formation



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from Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine http://ift.tt/1GaXez8

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