Earth's Moon may have formed much faster than previously thought - in just few hours | Watch video

Billions of years ago, our Earth was hit by an object about the size of Mars and out of that collision the Moon was formed. While most theories claim that the Moon formed over months or years, a new simulation by NASA and Durham University puts forth a different theory - our natural satellite may have formed in a matter of hours, when material from the Earth and the Mars-sized body, called Theia, was launched directly into orbit following the collision.

The new supercomputer simulations are some of the most detailed of their kind, operating at the highest resolution of any simulation run to study the Moon's origins or other giant impacts.

Video Credits: NASA's Ames Research Center

In previously prevailing theories, Theia sprayed out into orbit and mixed with only a little material from Earth. In this new theory, more Earth material is used to create the Moon, particularly its outer layers.

"This faster, single-stage formation theory offers a cleaner and more elegant explanation for both these outstanding issues. It could also give new ways to find answers for other unsolved mysteries. This scenario can put the Moon into a wide orbit with an interior that isn't fully molten, potentially explaining properties like the Moon's tilted orbit and thin crust – making it one of the most enticing explanations for the Moon's origins yet," NASA said in a statement.

The research opens up new possibilities for the Moon's evolution and will help scientists better understand the intertwined histories of Earth and its Moon.

🌒 A new @NASA and Durham University simulation puts forth a different theory of the Moon’s origin – it may have formed in a matter of hours when material from the Earth and a Mars sized-body were launched directly into orbit after the impact.READ MORE >> https://t.co/9uvfagRwEM pic.twitter.com/4vSOICjwYy

— NASA_SLS (@NASA_SLS) October 4, 2022