Scientists propose a surprising new theory about the formation of the moon

Should existing textbooks be rewritten? New simulations by scientists from Durham University, and more specifically its Institute for Computational Cosmology, reveal entirely new possible scenarios for the emergence of our planet and its closest neighbors. In their opinion The moon could be “immediately” after its giant collision that put it in orbit around the Earth, Which has nothing to do with the theory of the big collision which is considered the most likely, or at least part of it.

The latter indicates that about 4.5 billion years ago, a planet called Theia, about the size of Mars, collided with the young Earth, about 34 million years old, and was destroyed in a collision, ejecting most of its mass into space. However, it was not a central effect, which also caused the outer layer of the Earth’s surface to crack – This ring of matter orbiting our planet will eventually form the moon.

With this final stage, the new theory emerged, which holds that our natural satellite is A large piece of orbs disintegrated upon impact. According to the researchers, it relies on the most detailed simulations supercomputers have ever provided to explain what happened 4.5 billion years ago.

Scientists used open source SWIFT simulation code and DiRAC Memory Intensive Service (COSMA) to perform at high accuracy Simulation of hundreds of collisions at different collision angles, speeds, planetary rotation, masses And not only. This additional computing power has reportedly allowed different scenarios to be observed in a way that was not possible in previous studies and provided unexpected details that may explain some of the moon’s unusual features.