KWSN Orbiting Fortress

[PhastPhred]

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/moon_formation.html


NASA Lunar Scientists Develop New Theory on Earth and Moon Formation
10.30.12

New research funded by NLSI theorizes that our early Earth and moon were perhaps created in a different manner than has previously been believed. New research, funded by the NASA Lunar Science Institute (NLSI), hypothesizes that our early Earth and moon were both created together in a giant collision of two planetary bodies that were each five times the size of Mars.

This new hypothesis about how Earth’s moon formed is challenging the commonly believed “giant impact hypothesis,” which suggests that Earth's moon formed from a colossal impact of a hypothetical planetary embryo, named Theia, with Earth, early in our Solar System's history.
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[JumpinJohnny]

I had thought that the original theory was based on several facts that would otherwise be unaccounted for. One, is that Earth has a huge iron core that is bigger than any other planet would form without combining with another smaller planet ... (lucky for life to have magnetic fields created by the movement of the core to generate protection). and Two, being that the Moon seems to have rock identical to the Earth's crust. I am also confused by the slight discrepancy in adding up two planets each five times bigger than Mars to equal Earth + Moon. Good thing I'm just a stupid carpenter; geometric math is much easier (spiral staircases), than making sense out of theoretical planetary collisions.

[PhastPhred]

Maybe we can just ask the Doctor...

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[JumpinJohnny]