Animation showing the collision of bodies that formed the Earth and Moon. The Moon is thought to have been formed when the early Earth collided with a Mars-sized body called Theia. This happened some 4.4 billion years ago, less than 100 million years after the coalescence of the main Solar System bodies. The impact melted both bodies and mixed their constituents, evidence for which has been found by comparison of lunar and terrestrial rocks. The ejected debris coalesced relatively quickly to form the Moon. The impact was also responsible for Earth's axial tilt compared to its orbit, which gives us the seasons. | |
Lizenzart: | Lizenzpflichtig |
Credit: | Science Photo Library / Garlick, Mark |
Modell-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Länge: | 01:02 Minuten |
Seitenverhältnis: | 16:9 |
Restrictions: | - |