Formation Theories Evolve
A collaboration between a physicist, a chemist, and a mathematician led to a groundbreaking hypothesis about the Moon's formation, suggesting it was the result of a Mars-size object colliding with early Earth, ejecting molten material that formed the Moon.
This theory, supported by the composition and the early close orbit of the Moon, explains its unique geological features and the ongoing process of the Moon receding from Earth.
Revising the Moon's Age
Recent studies, including one by Professor Francis Nimmo, propose the Moon formed around 4.51 billion years ago, challenging the previous estimate of 4.35 billion years, by suggesting that lunar rocks' age reflects a remelting event rather than the Moon's initial formation.
This new timeline accounts for the discrepancies in lunar rock ages and the difficulty in explaining a major Moon-forming collision 200 million years after the solar system's birth, aligning better with the early solar system's dynamics.