Earth's Moon May Have Formed in Just 5 Hours After Giant Impact, Study Suggests
The Moon's formation has long been attributed to a giant impact between early Earth and a Mars-sized body called Theia. Now, researchers using advanced supercomputer simulations have proposed that this process may have been far more rapid than previously estimated—potentially taking only about five hours to complete.
According to the study, the impact would have ejected enormous amounts of debris into orbit around Earth. Rather than gradually accreting over millions of years as traditionally thought, the simulations suggest that gravitational forces could have caused this material to quickly coalesce into a lunar embryo.
The research challenges some conventional models of lunar formation, which typically require longer timescales for the Moon to assemble from an orbiting disk of debris. The findings offer a new perspective on one of the most significant events in our planet's early history, though scientists note that the giant impact hypothesis continues to be refined as computational models improve.
If confirmed, this rapid formation scenario would have implications for understanding the Moon's composition and the violent conditions of the early solar system. Further observations and modeling work will help scientists determine which formation model best matches the evidence preserved in lunar rocks.