How did Earth get such a strange moon? Exploring the giant impact theory

image via Space.com

March 17, 2025, 1:00 PM

• •The moon is a piece of Earth.
• •The moon formed when a Mars-size protoplanet named Theia slammed into the proto-Earth.
• •The impact released a lot of energy, which turned the moon into a molten ball.

The moon is a piece of our planet. It formed when a Mars-size protoplanet named Theia slammed into the proto-Earth. The impact released a lot of energy, which turned the moon into a molten ball. The moon's crust was scattered far into space, and some of it remained in orbit. In as little as a few hours, that material coalesced into its own solid object: the moon.

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