Tag

Giant Impact

All articles tagged with #giant impact

space1 month ago•136 min saved

Moon Born in a 5-Hour Flash After Giant Impact, New Study Suggests

New simulations considering the internal temperatures and material strengths of early Earth and Theia suggest the Moon could form within about five hours after the Theia–Earth giant impact if Theia was relatively warm; cooler, slower-forming scenarios are also possible. This refines the leading giant-impact theory, indicating the Moon largely originated from Theia’s mantle with a bit from Earth, and implies the Moon’s volatile content and isotopic differences may reflect the thermal state at impact. The findings have implications for exomoon searches and the Moon’s formation timeline.

via space.com|

#giant-impact #isotopes #moon-formation

space2 months ago•14 min saved

Mars-Sized Crash Forged Earth's Unusually Large Moon

A Mars-sized world named Theia struck the young Earth, vaporizing rock and throwing debris into orbit that quickly coalesced into Earth's Moon, explaining why the Moon is so large relative to Earth. Apollo-rock chemistry shows the Moon is Earth-like, ruling out capture or co-formation theories. Simulations indicate the debris formed a Moon within hours, and tidal forces have since raised the length of day and pushed the Moon outward at about 3.8 cm/year, altering future solar eclipses over hundreds of millions of years.

via Space Daily|

#giant-impact #lunar-formation #moon

space2 months ago•13 min saved

Uranus’s 97.77-degree tilt: collision or vanished moon—two paths, one mystery

Uranus sits about 97.77 degrees tilted and on its side, a likely result of a giant off-center collision, but a rival history—an ancient moon migrating outward, driving a resonance and eventual collision—also explains the tilt and the tilted moon–ring system. The arrangement fits with the planet’s tilted rings, magnetic field, and extreme seasons, and Voyager 2’s 1986 flyby alongside Webb observations and recent simulations keep both scenarios in play, underscoring that Uranus’s history may be a complex, multi-step rewrite rather than a single event.

via Space Daily|

#axial-tilt #giant-impact #moons

science3 months ago•11 min saved

Earth's Moon: a cataclysmic birth that steadied tides and climate

Scientists favor the giant-impact model: about 4.5 billion years ago a Mars-sized body named Theia struck early Earth, flinging molten debris that coalesced into the Moon. Lunar rocks show Earth-like isotopes, challenging simple versions of the collision and prompting models where both bodies mixed thoroughly. The Moon’s gravity drives tides and helps stabilize Earth's axial tilt, aiding a climate conducive to life, though some simulations allow tilt stability without the Moon. Artemis missions aim to bring back new lunar samples to help settle remaining questions.

via Space Daily|

#artemis #giant-impact #lunar-isotopes

science11 months ago•5 min saved

Scientists Find Evidence of a 4.5-Billion-Year-Old Proto-Earth Inside Our Planet

Scientists have found the first direct evidence of the proto-Earth, the original Earth before the Moon-forming impact, by analyzing ancient rocks and meteorites for potassium-40 isotopic signatures. These findings suggest that some ancient Earth materials have survived billions of years, providing new insights into Earth's early composition and the materials that formed it.

via Universe Today|

#earths-history #giant-impact #moon-formation

science-and-space2 years ago•2 min saved

Ancient Alien World Remnants Found Near Earth's Core

A new study suggests that remnants of the Mars-size rock, Theia, which collided with Earth and helped create the moon, may be buried near Earth's core. Computer simulations indicate that dense relics of Theia's mantle could have sunk and solidified in Earth's lower mantle, forming continent-size blobs that are more iron-rich than Earth's normal mantle rock. These blobs could have influenced geological activity unique to Earth, such as plate tectonics and subduction. Traces of these relics could potentially make their way to the surface through mantle plumes. The findings provide insight into Earth's geological evolution and its distinct characteristics compared to other rocky planets.

via Space.com|

#earths-core #giant-impact #mantle

science2 years ago•5 min saved

Ancient Collision Unearthed: Traces of Moon-Forming Impact Found in Earth's Mantle

A recent study suggests that a massive anomaly deep within Earth's mantle may be a remnant of the collision that formed the moon around 4.5 billion years ago. Using computational fluid dynamics methods, researchers discovered that the early Earth exhibited mantle stratification after the impact, with the upper mantle featuring a magma ocean created through the mixing of material from Earth and the proto-planet Theia, while the lower mantle remained solid and retained the composition of Earth. This finding challenges the traditional notion that the giant impact led to the homogenization of the early Earth and provides insights into Earth's internal structure and long-term evolution. The study also sheds light on the formation of the inner solar system and has implications for understanding the heterogeneity of Earth's mantle and the origins of Large Low Velocity Provinces (LLVPs).

via Phys.org|

#computational-fluid-dynamics #earths-mantle #geological-evolution

earth-science2 years ago•11 min saved

Unveiling Earth's Deep Secrets: Traces of Moon-Forming Impact Found Near Core

A new study suggests that the Moon-forming impactor that collided with Earth may have caused the basal mantle anomalies observed today. The research proposes that the impact generated a dense magma ocean at the base of the mantle, leading to the formation of continent-sized anomalous zones with low seismic velocity. These anomalies could explain the presence of volatile-depleted regions and the segregation of subducted oceanic crust in the lower mantle. The study highlights the importance of the Moon-forming impact in shaping Earth's mantle composition and provides insights into the early differentiation and volatile accretion processes during the planet's formation.

via Nature.com|

#basal-mantle-anomalies #earth-science #earths-mantle

science2 years ago•3 min saved

Earth's Mysterious Mantle: Clues of a Forgotten Collision

Mysterious blobs deep within Earth's mantle, known as large low-velocity provinces (LLVPs), may be remnants of a Mars-sized planet called Theia that collided with Earth billions of years ago, leading to the formation of the moon, according to a new study. Computer simulations suggest that during the collision, a portion of Theia's rock sank into Earth's mantle and gradually formed the LLVPs near the core. Further research and the analysis of moon rocks could provide more evidence to support this theory.

via The Guardian|

#earths-core #giant-impact #mantle-rocks