The Formation of the Moon Re-enacted on Supercomputers - The Cosmic Companion Dec. 5, 2020
Using supercomputers to re-enact an ancient collision between Earth and a Mars-sized body four billion years ago yields surprising results...
Exploring the formation of the Moon using supercomputer simulations.
The Moon likely formed four billion years ago, in a massive collision between the early Earth and a body the size of Mars. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
By James Maynard
The formation of the Moon billions of years ago is cloaked in mystery. Most astronomers believe the young Earth, still cooling off from its formation, was struck by a mars-sized body called Theia, roughly 4.5 billion years ago.
As the proto-Moon orbited Earth, it cooled, and gathered debris from the surrounding region of space. At the time, the Moon was much closer to Earth than it is today. Over billions of years, gravitational forces between the Earth and the Moon resulted in our planetary companion moving further away from our home world.
Researchers at Durham University developed supercomputer simulations, showing how this ancient collision may have unfolded.
Read more: https://thecosmiccompanion.net/the-formation-of-the-moon-re-enacted-on-supercomputers
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