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The maria's on the moon were formed by meteors slamming into it.
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∙ 12y ago
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How do the dark spots on the moon form?
They thought they were lunar "seas" like the oceans on earth. They are actually vast plains. But even today, they are still called "seas".Many early astronomers thought the dark spots on the moon were "seas". That is how all the lunar maria got their name, such as "Mare Tranquillitatis" which translates into "The Sea of Tranquility".
What are large flat areas of rock formed from lava?
maria
How do scientist believe Earth's moon was created?
Theories of the Origin of the MoonAfter years of research, studying gamma rays and rock samples from the Earth and the Moon, it is generally accepted that the ages of the Earth and the Moon are the same. There are several theories on its formation.IMPACT : One theory is that it was formed from the Earth's crust, following the impact of a large (Mars-sized) asteroid. A long string of rocky fragments were blown out from the Earth in the form of a trail, which coalesced into the Moon. Supporting this, the Earth has a large iron core but the Moon does not : the Earth's iron would have already sunken into the core by the time the giant impact happened.COACCRETION : Another theory, advocated by Edward Roche, is known as coaccretion. It proposes the concurrent information of both the Earth and the Moon from clouds of space material. As a result the new Moon gets spun by the Earth's gravity field and starts to circle the Earth. The fact is that all smaller solar bodies appear to be irregularly shaped, but larger ones are nearly spherical.FISSION : The fission theory states that the Moon long ago split off from a fast-rotating Earth, like mud flung from a spinning bicycle wheel. The present Pacific Ocean basin is the most popular site for the part of the Earth from which the Moon may have come. This is not supported by evidence of higher rotational speed in the past.CAPTURE : If the Moon formed separately, it could have come close enough to the Earth's gravitational field to be trapped. The angle of orbital approach would have to be within narrow parameters in relationship to the moving centre of the orbiting Earth. The chance of this occurrence is very low without some other gravitational interaction.The prevailing theory at present is some form of early impact, possibly by a co-orbiting object that fused with the Earth after the collision, but that blasted loose the material which later formed the Moon.Most widely accepted scientific explanationIt is believed that the moon formed around 4.5 billion years ago and only a few hundred million years after the Earth.Today, based on the evidence, the most widely accepted scientific explanation for the formation of the Moon is called the Giant Impact Hypothesis. According to this model, the Moon formed from debris that was the result of a huge collision. Not long after Earth formed, a proto-planet about the size of Mars (often called Theia) smashed into it at a low angle and relatively low speed. The cataclysmic impact rendered the entire Earth molten, and caused significant amounts of its mantle and crust to be blown into space. The metallic core of the impactor sunk through the Earth's mantle to fuse with Earth's core, thereby depleting the Moon of metallic material and explaining its unusual composition. The force of the collision is also believed to have been responsible for tilting the Earth at angle of 23.5 degrees, allowing for seasons.The debris from the collision began orbiting the Earth and gathered together through gravity to form a sphere: the Moon. The Moon formed surprisingly quickly, possibly in less than a month but no more than a century. It started out closer to the Earth than it is today, and must have caused massive tides. Slowly, due to conservation fo angular momentum, it moved further and further out until it got to the familiar orbit it is now. Even today, the Moon is receding from Earth by an inch and a half every year, but it will take billions of years for the Moon to escape from Earth's gravity altogether.There are still some problems with the Giant Impact hypothesis that need to be overcome. For example, the ratios of the Moon's volatile elements (such as water) are not explained by this model. Also, the moon's oxygen isotopic ratios are essentially identical to Earth's when they should be different. Regardless, the Giant Impact model is currently the best explanation scientists have based on the evidence that has been gathered, and holds more weight than the other theories for the Moon's formation.The Fission Theory: This theory proposes that the Moon was once part of the Earth and somehow separated from the Earth early in the history of the solar system. The present Pacific Ocean basin is the most popular site for the part of the Earth from which the Moon came. This theory was thought possible since the Moon's composition resembles that of the Earth's mantle and a rapidly spinning Earth could have cast off the Moon from its outer layers. However, the present-day Earth-Moon system should contain "fossil evidence" of this rapid spin and it does not. Also, this hypothesis does not have a natural explanation for the extra baking the lunar material has received.The Capture Theory: This theory proposes that the Moon was formed somewhere else in the solar system, and was later captured by the gravitational field of the Earth. The Moon's different chemical composition could be explained if it formed elsewhere in the solar system, however, capture into the Moon's present orbit is very improbable. Something would have to slow it down by just the right amount at just the right time, and scientists are reluctant to believe in such "fine tuning". Also, this hypothesis does not have a natural explanation for the extra baking the lunar material has received.The Condensation Theory: This theory proposes that the Moon and the Earth condensed individually from the nebula that formed the solar system, with the Moon formed in orbit around the Earth. However, if the Moon formed in the vicinity of the Earth it should have nearly the same composition. Specifically, it should possess a significant iron core, and it does not. Also, this hypothesis does not have a natural explanation for the extra baking the lunar material has received.
Has an XII earthquake ever happened before?
Well, a 19 should almost shatter the planet ... and the moon was formed by an impact so that must have been quite a bit bigger than a 20.
Who was Pablo Picasso's mother?
Maria Picasso y Lopez was the mother of Picasso.
What did the Maria on the moon form from?
The Maria on the moon was formed from lava/magma.
How were the lunar maria probably formed?
Our Moon's maria are currently believed to have been formed by ancient volcanic eruptions.
What is a moons maria?
Maria is a bunch of Basaltic material (which is igneous rock) that came together on the moon. It formed when the moon cooled. People used to think that the dark spots (maria) on the moon were oceans.
What is maria on moon made of?
The lunar maria are large, dark, basaltic plains, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions
What is maria made of on the moon?
The lunar maria are large, dark, basaltic plains, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions
Explain how maria formed on the moon and how this name for them originated?
The lunar maria (singular: mare) are believed to have been formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. They were given the name maria by early astronomers, who thought they were seas. Maria is the Latin word for seas.
What are the dark features of the moon?
They are called "maria". They were the formed by ancient volcanic lava flows.
What are maria and how are they formed?
Lunar Maria-'Maria' is a Latin word meaning "seas". The singular form is mare. They are large, dark, balsaltic plains found on the surface of the moon. Astronomers believe they were originally formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. To the naked eye, they appear very dark, and this is due to iron-rich composition. They cover nearly 15% of the moon's surface - most of which is on the near side to the Earth (the side we can see).In fact, it is because of Lunar Maria that people often think they see a face in the moon.
What part of a moon is a Maria?
The maria (Latin: "seas", singular "mare") are dark areas of the moon that were formed by ancient dark lava flowsAny of the large, low-lying dark areas on the Moon or on Mars or other inner planets.The lunar maria are believed to consist of volcanic basalts.
Which moon surface features probably formed when lava flows filled large basins?
maria
What are dark colored areas that look like oceans and were formed by lava flows?
The "Maria" on the Moon.
How old are the Luna maria?
Radiometric dating of moon rocks from the maria indicate that they formed about 3.16 to 4.2 thousand million years ago.
