The Moon was formed as a result of the collision of Earth with the protoplanet Theia

The Moon appeared about 4.5 billion years ago, following a massive collision between the young Earth and a Mars-sized protoplanet that astronomers call Theia. This information was reported by the Particle portal.

Researchers at Imperial College London created computer models and confirmed that this catastrophic event was a key moment in the formation of our planet and its satellite.

According to astrophysicist Jacob Kegeris, who studies the early solar system using supercomputer simulations, the giant collision not only gave birth to the Moon but also set off a whole chain of consequences that determined the evolution of Earth.

“Without the Moon, there would be no tides, and perhaps our aquatic ancestors would never have made it onto land,” the scientist noted.

Computer models based on the smoothed particle hydrodynamics method allow scientists to recreate the early stages of planet formation.

“We describe the system with millions of particles, each representing a piece of matter. A supercomputer calculates how they move and interact under the influence of gravity and pressure,” Kegerris explained.

Such simulations show that without a giant impact, it is impossible to explain how such a large amount of material could have been ejected into orbit to form the Moon.

Every year, the Moon moves about 3.8 centimeters away from Earth. By tracking this movement, researchers can reconstruct the history of its orbit and determine how fast Earth was rotating shortly after the collision.

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