How do scientists think the moon was created?

Answer 1

Scientists suggest the most likely theory is the collision theory. It states the Earth was hit by a planetesimal (a planetoid) and then Earth threw out a cloud of dust and gas. Gravity then formed the ring into a ball. The sister theory says the Earth and moon formed separately but close together in the Solar System. The fission theory states the rapidly spinning proto-Earth split off a chunk of magma and the blob of rock became the moon. The capture theory says the moon was a planetesimal (or planetoid) that the Earth captured.

Answer 2

Scientists suggest the most likely theory is the collision theory. It states the Earth was hit by a planetesimal (a planetoid) and then Earth threw out a cloud of dust and gas. Gravity then formed the ring into a ball. The sister theory says the Earth and moon formed separately but close together in the Solar System. The fission theory states the rapidly spinning proto-Earth split off a chunk of magma and the blob of rock became the moon. The capture theory says the moon was a planetesimal (or planetoid) that the Earth captured.

Answer 3

There are a few different theories that have been proposed at various points throughout history. One says that the moon formed elsewhere and was captured by Earth's gravity. Another says the Earth was molten at one point, and the centrifugal force of the rapidly spinning Earth caused a blob of magma to separate and eventually harden to form the moon. Yet another says that the Moon and Earth formed at the same time in proximity with each other, from the protoplanetary disk.

However, the prevailing theory that holds the most evidence is the Giant Impact Hypothesis. It states that at one point shortly after our planet formed (4.5 billion years ago) a protoplanet about the size of Mars, called Theia, collided with Earth. The impact was enormous, tilting Earth at an angle, melting its crust, and releasing a large amount of debris into space. The debris rose into orbit around our planet until eventually, gravity pulled the pieces together to form the Moon.

Indirect evidence for the Giant Impact model comes from rocks collected by the Apollo moon missions. This theory best explains the lack of water (the vapor cloud was too hot for water to condense), the similarity in composition (since the Moon had formed from part of the Earth), the lower density (since the Moon had formed from the Earth's crust and mantle, rather than its core), and the Moon's unusual orbit (since an oblique strike would have imparted a massive amount of angular momentum to the Earth/Moon system.

This lunar origin hypothesis has some difficulties which have yet to be resolved. These difficulties include:

• The ratios of the Moon's volatile elements are not explained by the giant impact hypothesis. If the giant impact hypothesis is correct, they must be due to some other cause.
• There is no evidence that the Earth ever had a magma ocean (an implied result of the giant impact hypothesis), and it is likely there exists material which has never been processed by a magma ocean.
• The iron oxide (FeO) content (13%) of the Moon, which is intermediate between Mars (18%) and the terrestrial mantle (8%), rules out most of the source of the proto-lunar material from the Earth's mantle.
• If the bulk of the proto-lunar material had come from the impactor, the Moon should be enriched in siderophilic elements, when it is actually deficient in those.
• The presence of volatiles such as water trapped in lunar basalts is more difficult to explain if the impact caused a catastrophic heating event.
• The Moon's oxygen isotopic ratios are essentially identical to those of Earth. Oxygen isotopic ratios, which can be measured very precisely, yield a unique and distinct signature for each solar system body. If Theia had been a separate proto-planet, it would probably have had a different oxygen isotopic signature than Earth, as would the ejected mixed material.

However, as of now, this is the best theory there is in explaining the origin of our moon. Other theories that have been presented have much less evidence.

Answer 4

The Moon was created when a planet the size of Mars crashed into Earth less than 100 million years after the Sun was born, some 4.6 billion years ago. This essentially smashed the object and part of the Earth into pieces. Those pieces of debris went into orbit around the Earth and gradually collected up into a ball like object to make what we know now as our moon.

Answer 5

The prevailing theory today is that early in the history of the solar system, Earth was struck by another planet about the size of Mars. This collision sent a massive amount of rock and metal into orbit. Much of the material eventually fell back to Earth, but some stayed in orbit. Over millions of years, that material formed a ring which slowly became the moon.

There are other reasonable and viable possibilities.

* The moon was formed almost entirely separately from Earth but was somehow captured by Earth's gravity.

* The moon was formed by leftover material from Earth's formation.

* The moon was spewed out by a violent eruption on Earth.

Answer 6

One prominent theory is the Giant Impact Hypothesis, which suggests that the moon was formed from debris after a Mars-sized body collided with Earth early in its history. This collision resulted in the formation of the moon, which then cooled and settled into orbit around Earth.

Answer 7

Scientists think the moon came from a collision between a large object and the Earth. Others believe that the moon was pulled into orbit by the gravity of the Earth.

Answer 8

Scientists believe that the moon was created by material from the Earth after a large collision.

Answer 9

They think it came from a collision between the early Earth and a large object

about the size of Mars.