It is believed that the moon is caused by matter ejected into space by the collision between the earth and a large celestial body. A new detailed simulation of that ancient disaster suggests that the process may not exceed several hours. According to modern concepts, the moon was

People believe that the moon appears when the earth collided with a large celestial body and was ejected into space. A new detailed simulation of that ancient disaster suggests that the process may not exceed several hours.

According to the modern concept , the moon was formed about 4.5 billion years ago, and was the result of the collision between the young Earth and the protoplanet Theia. The size of the protoplanet Theia reaches today's Mars . The impact lifts and mixes the matter of the two celestial bodies, part of which eventually enters low-Earth orbit and gradually drops the satellite . However, new simulations show that this process can happen faster—in fact, in just a few hours. Scientists at Durham University described this in in an article published by in the Journal of Astrophysics Letters.

lunar soil sample isotope composition close to the earth. This shows that the satellite's crust is mainly formed by matter from the upper layer of the Earth. From the late Theia, Luna gets a small portion, although her remains may be preserved deeper in the gut. In addition, the impact should throw matter far beyond Roche's limit. Below this limit, the moon will be destroyed by the tidal force of the Earth's gravitational field , even before it has time to form. The existing collision scenarios are difficult to explain these two facts.

So Jacob Kegerreis and his colleagues used the new SWIFT model, which allowed them to simulate the complex gravitational and fluid dynamics processes that occur in large quantities of matter. For computing, scientists used the COSMA supercomputer, which simulated hundreds of collision options: at different angles, at different speeds, and the rotation of two celestial bodies. The simulation resolution reaches 100 million particles, several orders of magnitude higher than usual.

study shows that due to the collision between the Earth and the Theia , two groups of jet material appeared in orbit. The gravity of the larger one can quickly push the smaller one into a more distant, more stable orbit. He himself fell below the limit of Luo's family and was destroyed. The entire process took hours and eventually formed the moon with all the main characteristics, including a wide orbit, a thin crust composed primarily of Earth's matter and a partially melted interior.

To verify these conclusions, it will allow the analysis of lunar material samples obtained not from the surface but from the depths of the satellite. This is the challenge facing under NASA Artemis plan to prepare for future tasks of . “The more we know about the moon’s appearance, the better we can understand the evolution of the earth,” said Professor Vincent Eck, one of the authors of the new work. "Their history is closely linked and may be reflected in the history of other planets, which have undergone profound changes due to similar or completely different collisions."