How did the moon form? Simulation may solve riddle about its chemistry

The moon is believed to have been created in a violent collision, and a brand new simulation of the occasion may reply questions which have puzzled astrophysicists

By Alex Wilkins

A pc simulation that traces the moon’s formation in excessive decision might clarify the thriller of why it’s so chemically much like Earth.

The standard story for the moon’s origin is {that a} primordial planet named Theia smashed into Earth and spewed molten rock into house. This particles, primarily made up of Theia, then coalesced into the moon over tens of tens of millions of years.

While this state of affairs accounts the moon’s noticed angular momentum, it fails to elucidate the …