The ‘Big Splat’ Theory of Our Moons Formation
Explore the cosmic collision that may have formed the celestial body we all know and love.
We see it up in the sky most nights. When it’s full, we sit back amazed at the light it casts over the land. Our Moon is the closest celestial body to Earth and actually helps regulates natural events on the planet.
The Moons gravity causes our tides to ebb and flow, stronger and weaker, depending on the location of the rock in the sky.
This 2,159-mile long object dances with our planet and has done so for billions of years, but how did it form in the first place? Scientists aren’t 100% sure. The leading theory is something known as the ‘Big Splat’ or the Theia Impact if you prefer a more eloquent name.
To understand this theory, let’s dive back about 4.5 billion years in time. Around the time of the Moons estimated formation date, the Universe was a hostile place compared to how it is now.
Our solar system was just beginning to take shape, but violent and impressive collisions between celestial objects were far more common than they were today. Despite this, gravity sucked mass amounts of swirling gas and debris together to form the planet we know and love today.
