New Evidence Points to the Moon Once Being Part of Earth

Recent evidence suggests that the moon might have been born from the debris of an ancient impact. The discovery of certain gases inside the moon supports this view and also provides valuable new details on how it might have happened. The moon has several differences from Earth, including its density and composition. This is important because it can tell us about the conditions under which it formed. Most scientists believe that the moon formed after a collision between Earth and another large body roughly 4.5 billion years ago. The presence of argon-40 and krypton-80 inside the moon is a strong indication that it was created by an impact.

Credit: Wired

While both of these gases are rare on Earth, they’re common in other bodies like meteorites and comets. The moon is a large, airless body that orbits Earth. It has no atmosphere and very little gravity, which makes it an ideal place to test spacecraft and other equipment that will be used in space. The moon is the only large body in our solar system that does not have an atmosphere. This is because it has no intrinsic magnetic field and its gravity is too weak to hold on to one. By analyzing gases trapped in lunar rocks, scientists have found strong evidence that the moon was formed as a result of a long-ago collision with a small planet.

However, various gases have been detected inside the lunar interior, including neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and noble gases such as helium-3. The study is published in the journal Nature Astronomy. Here’s something that will make you go, “Huh?” A chunk of the moon may have been created after all — if you believe in a popular moon origin theory for one. The discovery of certain gases inside the moon supports the idea.