A new supercomputer simulation shows the moon's possible origin. Space experts have been studying samples from the Earth's natural satellite for the past few years.
(Photo : Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images)
A Super Blood Wolf Moon is seen during a total lunar eclipse on January 20, 2019 in Marina Del Rey, California. Overnight in the northern hemisphere a phenomenon called a super blood wolf moon should appear in certain areas.
They conducted various observations and studies involving lunar rocks so that they can understand how the moon actually formed.
Most of the theories about the moon's origin are an impact between two heavenly bodies, specifically the original Earth and Theia; a Mars-sized space object.
However, theories about the moon's origin commonly suggest that the natural satellite formed at a slow rate since it was created by the gradual accumulation of the impact's debris.
Now, the new supercomputer simulation might change this belief.
Supercomputer Simulation Shows Possible Moon Origin
According to PhysOrg's latest report, researchers from Durham University's Institute for Computational Cosmology simulated hundreds of different impacts.
(Photo : Photo by KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP via Getty Images)
This composite image created on January 31, 2018 shows the moon during a lunar eclipse referred to as the "super blue blood moon" in Tokyo. - Skywatchers were hoping for a rare lunar eclipse that combines three unusual events -- a blue moon, a super moon and a total eclipse -- which was to make for a large crimson moon viewable in many corners of the globe.
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Their calculations were performed by the so-called SWIFT, an open-source simulation code that runs on the DiRAC Memory Intensive service.
Based on their findings, the moon actually formed at a faster rate compared to the recent theories. If this is true, less became molten during the formation.
"This formation route could help explain the similarity in isotopic composition between the lunar rocks returned by the Apollo astronauts and Earth's mantle," explained Vincent Eke, the study's co-author.
What Moon Origin Simulation Shows
In the actually detailed simulation, two space objects (one larger and one smaller) collided with each other. The bigger heavenly body was destroyed by still retaining its shape.
After the impact, the larger planet absorbed the debris of the smaller space object. Near the video's end, a whip-like effect left a small part of the smaller heavenly body intact.
This suggested that the moon didn't come from debris accumulation. Instead, the simulation shows that the natural satellite is the surviving part of the smaller space object after the collision.
You can check the official study titled "Immediate Origin of the Moon as a Post-impact Satellite" to see further details.
Meanwhile, the first UAE moon spaceflight was recently confirmed.
Previously, China and UAE decided to work together for their future moon rover missions.
For more news updates about the moon and Earth, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.
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Written by Griffin Davis
