The Moon may have formed hundreds of millions of years earlier than previous estimates, according to a new analysis by researchers from the United States, France and Germany.
Earth’s constant companion, according to a new analysis by American, French and German researchers MonthIt may have formed 4.53 billion years ago, hundreds of millions of years earlier than previous estimates. This timeline could also solve other mysteries about the Moon, such as having fewer giant impact basins than expected and containing less metal than Earth, according to the team led by University of California geologist Francis Nimmo.
New Findings About the Formation of the Moon
According to the theory of the formation of the Moon, in the early period of the Solar System, the remaining materials from the gas and dust disk around the Sun turned into rocks and collided with each other, creating chaos.
Scientists think that the Moon was formed when an object the size of Mars hit the Earth, which was still hot and sticky. But recently, a different picture has emerged from tiny lunar zircon grains. These zircons were dated at ages inconsistent with the previously assumed formation time of 4.35 billion years.
Nimmo and colleagues conducted analyzes and modeling that showed the Moon formed at an earlier time and experienced widespread crustal remelting 4.35 billion years ago. Accordingly, after the Moon settled into Earth’s orbit, it may have been subjected to tidal forces that moved in an eccentric orbit and melted some of its surface.
This solves the problem of old zircon and young surface rocks. The findings limit the age of the Moon to between 4.43 and 4.53 billion years. Since the Earth is estimated to be 4.54 billion years old, this means our planet has been best friends with the Moon for almost its entire life.