Scientists Claim the Creation of the Moon only Took a Few Hours

How the moon was createdNASA

One of the questions humanity has been wrestling with ever since we looked up to the stars has now been answered thanks to human curiosity and cutting edge modern technology.

In their research, NASA Scientists and researchers from Durham University’s Institute for Computational Cosmology concluded that the moon was likely formed immediately after a cataclysmic impact tore off parts of our planet and hurled it to space. The scientists used the most detailed supercomputer simulations to determine the moon’s origins and formation.

The new finding goes against earlier theories that suggested the moon was formed due to a collision between earth and an ancient Mars-size protoplanet called Theia. As a result, the impact created a debris field from which our moon was formed. However, the new research finding reveals the moon’s formation didn’t take thousands of years as previously thought but only as little as a few hours.

Computational Cosmologist Jacob Kegerreis of Durham university, explaining the findings of the new research, said,

“This opens up a whole new range of possible starting places for the moon’s evolution. We went into this project not knowing exactly what the outcomes of these very high-resolution simulations would be. So, on top of the big eye-opener that standard resolutions can give you wrong answers, it was extra exciting that the new results could include a tantalizingly Moon-like satellite in orbit.”

Computer simulation showing how the moon was formed

The scientists expect their research will further provide new insights in finding answers to some of the mysteries surrounding the moon, such as the moon’s tilted orbit away from the earth’s equator or why it has a thin crust and a partial molten interior.

Although it boggles the mind that it took only a few hours for the moon we see at night to be formed, what is even more astonishing is that so much of our earth’s operations depend on the moon. For instance, the earth needs the moon to help stabilize it and moderate the climate to make earth a more liveable planet.

In addition, the moon is essential to marine life as it causes ocean tides that are important for moving floating animals and plants from estuaries to deeper waters. At the same time, the moon has been man’s navigational guide throughout the ages.

Some of the factual evidence scientists have regarding the moon include the lunar rocks brought back by the Apollo mission, in which further analysis of the rocks revealed the moon was as old as the earth. This fact gives the new findings about the moon’s origins much credence. Moreover, the rock samples were now found to contain water, in contrary to previously held theories about the moon.

Nevertheless, there’s still a lot we don’t know about our moon. Despite that, scientists remain hopeful that NASA’s planned voyage to the moon in 2024 will herald in learning more about the moon. Still, the knowledge that something as profound as the moon takes only mere hours to be created completely changes our perception of how heavenly bodies are formed and that is what I find most fascinating about the study.