Moon may have formed from flurry of impacts on the ancient Earth
by Ian Sample Science editor from on (#2885S)
New computer simulations counter widely-held belief that moon was formed from a single massive collision
The moon may have formed after an ancient rocky bombardment that pummelled the Earth and sent trillions of tonnes of debris into orbit, scientists say.
Computer simulations show that a flurry of impacts over 100m years could have kicked up enough material to form orbiting moonlets, which gradually merged to make the moon.