Scientists Have a Crazy New Hypothesis About The Origin of The Moon

[Judi Lynn]

It involves a... vapour doughnut.

MICHELLE STARR 1 MAR 2018

The usual explanation for the origin of the Moon describes it as the result of a collision between Earth and something else that spun material into space.

But a new paper suggests that our satellite could have emerged from the ring of a vapourised planet - and this could answer some inconsistencies left by the collision theory.

Called a synestia, and still only hypothetical, the vapourised planet is a relatively new concept.

It's a doughnut-shaped, rapidly spinning cloud of rock and dust that can constitute part of the formation of rocky planets.

More:
https://www.sciencealert.com/moon-formation-theory-synestia-planetary-science-earth

[Ferrets are Cool]

1. Would that be a cheese donut?

[Sneederbunk]

2. Let's face it, they don't know.

[Judi Lynn]

3. New Theory On Moon Formation Explained [Infographic]

FEB 28, 2018 @ 10:00 PM
Kevin Anderton

A new theory on how the Moon was formed has been published. It has some new ideas that explain a lot more about the Moon's chemical composition. It seems to stack up well against the giant impact theory. Which theory do you like better?
Giant Impact, the old theory

This theory says that 4.5 billion years ago the Earth was struck by a Mars-sized object. The remaining debris formed the Earth as we know it and the Moon. This has been the favored theory for a while because it explained a lot of the unique features of the Moon. Features like the Moon having a lower density than the Earth, a small iron core, and lunar and terrestrial rocks having the same stable-isotope ratios. This theory, however, does not cover everything. One issue is that it does not account for why the debris formed into a single Moon rather than a few smaller moons. Still, this remains the current leading theory.

Synestia, the new theory

This theory explains why the Moon has a similar chemical composition as the Earth. It also starts out 4.5 billion years ago. At this time the Earth was a spinning cloud of vapor called synestia. Which is the result of a planet-size impact that had a high amount of energy and angular momentum. The result is a large donut-shaped cloud around a small chunk of early planet Earth. These structures probably don’t last very long as they will shrink as they lose heat and form into planets. After the large collision, a chunk of debris must have been floating aro

More:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinanderton/2018/02/28/new-theory-on-moon-formation-explained-infographic/#6489a8c67f4e