Tag: Moon formation
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Could TRAPPIST-1’s Seven Worlds Host Moons? Exploring Exomoons in a Tight System
Introduction: A compact constellation around a red dwarf TRAPPIST-1 has long fascinated astronomers and stargazers alike. Nestled about 40 light-years away, this compact system features seven Earth-sized planets orbiting a dim red dwarf star in a remarkably tight arrangement. With planets packed closer to their star than Mercury is to the Sun, the big question…
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Theia and the Moon: Early Neighbors in the Solar System
Did Theia Start as a Nearby Planet? Rethinking the Moon’s Birth For decades, scientists have told a dramatic tale: a colossal asteroid-like body named Theia collided with young Earth, smashing and mixing to birth the Moon. This violent event, believed to have occurred about 4.5 billion years ago, has been the centerpiece of our understanding…
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Did Theia Start as a Neighbor? Reassessing the Moon’s Origins
Introduction: A cosmic origin story under new light For decades, the prevailing narrative about our Moon’s birth has centered on a colossal early collision—Earth smacking into a Mars-sized body called Theia. The aftermath, scientists agree, produced a disk of debris that coalesced into the Moon. But recent studies are revisiting the very beginning of this…
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Were Theia and Earth Neighbors Before the Moon? Rewriting Our Origins
Introduction: A New Twist on an Ancient Tale For decades, the giant-impact hypothesis has explained how the Moon formed: a colossal collision between young Earth and a Mars-sized body named Theia, followed by a chaotic merger that left Earth with a shiny lunar companion. But recent studies are nudging scientists to rethink a crucial piece…
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Moon Birth Clues from Ancient Australian Rocks Unearthed
New evidence from Earth’s oldest rocks Scientists are turning to Earth’s earliest archives to rewrite a chapter of planetary history. In Western Australia, researchers have analyzed feldspar grains dated to about 3.7 billion years ago, seeking clues about the cataclysmic event that formed Earth’s Moon. While the Moon’s origin is traditionally linked to a colossal…
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Ancient Australian rocks clue the Moon’s dramatic birth
Unveiling a long-standing mystery New research from the University of Western Australia suggests that some of the planet’s oldest rocks, buried deep in Western Australia, could deepen our understanding of the Moon’s dramatic birth. The study, which centers on exceptionally ancient feldspar minerals dating to about 3.7 billion years ago, offers a fresh angle on…
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Ancient Australian Rocks May Redraw the Moon’s Birth Story
New Clues from Earth’s Oldest Rocks Researchers from the University of Western Australia (UWA) have turned to Earth’s oldest material, rocks buried deep in Western Australia, to rethink the moment that birthed the Moon. In a study focusing on 3.7-billion-year-old feldspar, scientists are piecing together clues about the cataclysmic events that shaped Earth’s celestial companion.…
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Moon’s Largest Crater Reveals Hidden Clues as Artemis Eyes South Pole-Aitken
Understanding the Moon’s Hidden History The Moon wobbles through space in a quiet duet with Earth: it spins on its axis in roughly the same time it takes to orbit our planet, a phenomenon known as synchronous rotation. This lock means we always see the same face, while the far side remains largely mysterious to…