Second part can be found HERE
There are few theories about the moon’s origin. If you’re curious to know more, you’ll find the answers below.
So, you know how we’ve always just assumed the Moon’s been hanging out in the sky forever? Well, turns out, that’s probably not the case at all. It’s like this cosmic mystery that’s been bugging scientists for ages.
Get this — some ancient legends actually talk about “pre-Moon times.” Can you imagine looking up at night and seeing no Moon? How we would call Michael Jackson’s moonwalk,a? Crazy, right? And here’s the kicker: scientists actually agree that the Moon is younger than Earth. They’re pretty sure Earth and the Moon couldn’t have formed together because the Moon is 1/4 size of Earth. It’s like, in every other planetary system we’ve seen, the main planet is way bigger than its moons. But not us — we’re special, I guess!
So, people have come up with all sorts of theories about where the Moon came from. Some are pretty out there, but let me tell you about a couple of the more serious ones.
There’s this wild idea that about 4.5 billion years ago — we’re talking way, way back — Earth got walloped by this massive object. And when I say massive, I mean bigger than Mars! The impact was so huge that it basically melted part of Earth, and a bunch of debris got thrown into space.
Now, here’s where it gets cool. This team of scientists from the University of Colorado decided to play cosmic billiards on their computers. They simulated what would happen after this massive collision, and guess what? They figured out how all that space junk could have come together to form our Moon!
At first, their simulations were giving them a whole bunch of little moons, which would’ve been pretty rad, but not what we actually see. But then they tweaked their model, and bam! They got a single moon, just like ours. They ran this simulation like 27 times with different numbers of debris chunks, anywhere from 1,000 to 2,700 pieces. Each chunk was between 60 and 700 kilometers wide — that’s like small countries flying around in space!
The craziest part? According to their calculations, the Moon could have formed in just one year. One year! I mean, that’s practically overnight in cosmic terms. Apparently, all this debris was zipping around Earth super fast, completing an orbit every 7–8 hours.
But here’s a puzzle they’re still trying to figure out: if this really happened, Earth should be spinning way faster than it does now. Like, twice as fast. So there’s still some explaining to do there.
Oh, and there’s another theory that’s pretty wild too. Some folks think the Moon might actually be a piece of Earth’s core that got punched out during the impact. They even think they know where it happened — near the North Pole! This idea explains why Moon rocks have similar stuff in them to Earth rocks. But there’s a big problem with this theory too. If a chunk of Earth just got knocked off, how did it end up in such a perfect orbit? It’s not like it had engines to adjust its course, right?
So, basically, we’re still not 100% sure where the Moon came from. But isn’t it mind-blowing to think about? Our friendly neighborhood Moon could be the result of some epic cosmic collision billions of years ago. Every time I look up at the night sky now, I can’t help but imagine all that space drama that might have happened way back when.
The idea of the Moon being a former spaceship
American researcher named George Leonard who’s got this crazy idea that the Moon isn’t just a natural satellite, but an abandoned alien spaceship or base. I know, right? It sounds nuts, but hear me out.
So, according to Leonard, way back in the day, we’re talking hundreds, maybe thousands of years ago, aliens were using the Moon as some kind of pit stop. You know, like a gas station and supply depot in space. But then, disaster struck! Leonard thinks maybe the Moon collided with a comet or something equally catastrophic.
Now, here’s where it gets really weird. Instead of just abandoning their moon base, these super-advanced aliens apparently decided to tow it into orbit around Earth for repairs. Can you imagine the power it would take to move something as big as the Moon? It’s mind-blowing!
Leonard believes that right now, as we speak, these aliens are busy fixing up their base underneath the Moon’s surface. And get this — he thinks they’re trying to hide all this from us humans.
You know how the Bible has all those stories about angels and strange visitors? Well, Leonard suggests those might actually be accounts of alien visits. Apparently, back then, the aliens didn’t care if primitive humans saw them. But as we got smarter and more technologically advanced, they started to keep their distance, watching us from afar. Maybe they’re even meddling in our affairs sometimes, who knows?
Now, you’re probably thinking, “But we’ve been to the Moon! Wouldn’t we have noticed if it was an alien base?” Well, Leonard’s got an answer for that too. He believes the aliens covered up the Moon’s true surface with dust, pebbles, and even fake craters to make it look natural. Talk about extreme home makeover, space edition!
Of course, this is all just a wild theory. There’s no actual scientific evidence to back any of this up. But isn’t it fun to imagine? Next time you look up at the Moon, you might find yourself wondering, “What if…?”
It’s crazy how people come up with these ideas, right? I mean, we’re still trying to figure out where the Moon really came from, and here’s this guy saying it’s a broken-down alien spaceship! It just goes to show how much the Moon still fascinates us and how many mysteries are still out there in space.