GÖTTINGEN / CHICAGO / LONDON (IT BOLTWISE) – New scientific findings shed light on the origin of the moon. A recent study shows that the protoplanet Theia, which collided with Earth 4.5 billion years ago, came from the inner solar system. This discovery could revolutionize our understanding of Earth’s geochemical history.
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The formation of the moon is one of the most fascinating chapters in Earth’s history. About 4.5 billion years ago, a Mars-sized protoplanet called Theia collided with the young Earth. This collision led to the formation of the moon by ejecting large amounts of material into space. But the question of Theia’s origins remained unanswered for a long time.
A new study, published in the journal Science, now provides answers. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research and the University of Chicago have used chemical reverse engineering to discover that Theia comes from the inner solar system. This finding is based on the analysis of isotopes in rock samples from Earth and the Moon.
Isotopes that differ in the number of neutrons they contain serve as chemical fingerprints. In the early solar system, these isotopes were not evenly distributed, meaning that celestial bodies from different regions have different isotopic signatures. Examination of iron, chromium, titanium and zirconium isotopes in rock samples showed that Earth and Theia were chemically very similar.
The results suggest that Theia was a neighbor of Earth and formed from non-carbonaceous meteorite materials that originated within the orbit of Mars. This discovery contradicts older theories that placed Theia in the outer, water-rich regions of the solar system. The nearly identical isotopic signatures of the Earth and the Moon indicate complete mixing of the two bodies upon impact.
This study supports the hypothesis of an extreme collision in which the material from both celestial bodies was mixed into a gigantic cloud of steam and rock. This puts the idea that the moon is a ‘piece’ of the earth into perspective. Rather, both today’s Earth and the Moon are the product of a merger between two planetary neighbors.
The findings from this study could have far-reaching implications for our understanding of Earth’s geochemical evolution. They offer new perspectives for researching the history of the formation of our planet and its satellite. Scientists plan to continue their research to uncover more details about Theia’s composition and origin.
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