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The moon orbits our planet Earth everyday, but its origin has puzzled scientists for decades. Where did it come from?
Some theories suggest that moons orbiting planets Jupiter, Saturn and Earth were formed from the debris left over during the formation of solar system.
NASA’s Apollo missions brought back Moon samples, helping us decode its past through chemical analysis and dating.
These samples showed the Moon was likely formed 60 million years after the solar system and was once covered in a molten magma ocean.
Studies found that Moon rocks share a similar chemical composition with Earth's crust, including oxygen isotopes and basalt.
This suggests the Moon might have once been part of Earth leading to the widely accepted Theia Impact Hypothesis.
According to this theory, a Mars-sized body named Theia slammed into Earth around 4.5 billion years ago.
The collision ejected debris from Earth’s crust into space. Over time, this debris clumped together to form the Moon.
Newer studies suggest Theia didn’t just vanish, it merged with Earth’s interior and may still exist deep in the mantle.
Data from Moon samples and simulations continue to support the theory that the Moon may have formed after a major impact on early Earth.
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