Scientists suggest that the Earth has played a much larger role in the formation of the moon than it was considered earlier. The latest study published in PNAS , calls doubt on a widely known theory of catastrophic collision of Earth with Taya protoplanet, which allegedly led to the formation of our natural satellite. According to new data, the moon was formed mostly from the material of the land of the Earth, and Taya's participation was minimal.
The moon has existed for over 4 billion years, and its origin has long been the subject of intensive research. The most common is the hypothesis, according to which the satellite appeared after the Earth collided with a large protoplanet known as Taya. This collision, according to this theory, threw out a large amount of material from which the moon was subsequently formed into space. However, a new study revealed important features that do not correspond to this scenario.
One of the main evidence was the results of the study of oxygen isotopes in the rocks of the Earth and the Moon. It turned out that the isotope composition of oxygen-17 in samples from both bodies is very similar, which is a significant challenge for the theory of Tai's intervention. If Taya was indeed part of the moon formation process, its isotope composition should be significantly different from the earth. However, these data indicate that most of the material from which the moon was formed was probably taken from the land of the Earth.
Scientists have also found new tips concerning water on Earth. According to a popular theory, water got to the ground as a result of meteorite rains after the moon. However, a new study found that this process probably happened much earlier, during the formation of the planet. Scientists have found that most of the water on Earth was probably brought by meteorites of the class enstatite chondrites, which delivered water to the early stages of our planet's existence.
