A new theory proposes that the Earth may once have had a small second moon which perished in a slow-motion collision with the bigger moon.
The researchers argue that the Earth was smacked about four billion years ago by another planet about the size of Mars and the resulting debris eventually combined to form our Moon.The scientists, however, suggest that another, smaller lunar body may have also formed from the same material and got stuck in a gravitational tug of war between the Earth and the Moon, according to a theory published in the journal Nature.
According to the theory, after millions of years of being “stuck”, the smaller moon started to collide with our Moon, slowly crashing into it at a gentle speed of less than three kilometers per second.
The scientists say that the collision may provide an explanation for the mysterious mountains on the rarely-seen side of the Moon, adding that the relatively slow speed of the crash was crucial in building up material on the far side of the Moon.
A previous collision with a smaller companion could explain why the Moon’s two sides look so different, say Martin Jutzi and Erik Asphaug, co-authors of the study.
The Moon’s visible side is dominated by low-lying lava plains, whereas its farside is composed of highlands.
The researchers hoped that data from two US space agency lunar missions will substantiate or challenge their theory within the next year.
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