A new proposed model of the formation of Earth's Moon runs counter to the giant impact hypothesis:
The newly proposed theory by researchers Assistant Prof. Hagai Perets, of the Technion, and Weizmann Institute Raluca Rufu (lead author) and Prof. Oded Aharonson, runs counter to the commonly held "giant impact" paradigm that the moon is a single object that was formed following a single giant collision between a small Mars-like planet and the ancient Earth.
"Our model suggests that the ancient Earth once hosted a series of moons, each one formed from a different collision with the proto-Earth," said co-author Assistant Prof. Perets. "It's likely that such moonlets were later ejected, or collided with the Earth or with each other to form bigger moons." To check the conditions for the formation of such mini-moons or moonlets the researchers ran 800 simulations of impacts with the Earth.
The new model is consistent with science's current understanding of the formation of the Earth. In its last stages of the growth, the Earth experienced many giant impacts with other bodies. Each of these impacts contributed more material to the proto-Earth, until it reached its current size. "We believe the Earth had many previous moons," said Assistant Prof. Perets, who added that, "a previously-formed moon could therefore already exist when another moon-forming giant impact occurs."
A multiple-impact origin for the Moon (DOI: 10.1038/ngeo2866) (DX)
(Score: 2) by VLM on Sunday January 15 2017, @06:15PM
I've wondered for a couple decades if the ewoks were self aware enough to have ever said something like "Thats no moon, chewie get us outta here"
Somewhat more on topic, my point is over the course of my lifetime the concept of exoplanet observation has gone from "LOL no" to pretty much BAU. Likely within our lifetime we're gonna be visually imaging live (well, speed of light delayed) exo-moon formation which will take a lot of the romance of "long ago" away from speculation about our own moon's formation, since the answer to how our moon formed will likely be "RA blah dec blah look at planet gamma thats got a moon just like ours, forming away just like our did". Of course it'll still have the romance of "far away" which is almost as good. Until we send probes and colonies there, anyway, where-ever "there" ends up being.
(Score: 2) by Whoever on Sunday January 15 2017, @06:20PM
I read how the moon, if it were a few large pieces would eventually break up into lots of small pieces.
Oh, wait, no, that was Neal Stephenson's most recent novel "Seveneves".
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 15 2017, @09:56PM
There has been much research done to find out how the moon came into being, when it actually was built.
David Icke has an interesting take on it [youtube.com].