science π Moon might have formed intact after huge crash
A new study suggests the physical strength of colliding worlds played a huge role in the Moon's birth. Researchers at the Southwest Research Institute and the University of Arizona examined the impact between early Earth and a Mars-sized object. The simulations ran for 4.5 billion years, and the findings were published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. This new approach accounts for material strength, potentially reshaping understanding of the giant impact theory. Some results even show an intact Moon appearing within just a few hours.