A Two Moon Planet?
Fascinating new article from Nature suggesting that the moon, that's The Moon to us, may not be all it seems.
According to a new 'big splat' theory, there may once have been two moons, which collided in an almighty splat, to form the ever-so lopsided satellite which we know and love today...
The diagram was provided by Martin Jutzi and Erik Asphaug from the University of California, Santa Cruz. The theory is still very much that, and has drawn reactions from other scientists who are circumspectly saying things like 'It may or may not be true'.According to the report, it would have taken place about four and a half billion years ago, so don't bother asking your granny if she can remember it.
The event wouldn't have been as spectactular as a modern movie would make it either, taking several minutes to happen, with a smaller moon being around 600 miles wide.
The effect would probably have been more like a slow-motion waterballoon-in-the-face attack than an cataclysmic explosion, although no doubt film producers will brush that little fact under the carpet when the time comes. Bruce Willis and Co. only have a couple of hours to save the universe, as we all know.
Credence is given to the theory by the fact that the far side of the moon is much hillier than the face we are all familiar with. Pink Floyd - did you know about this? Why didn't you tell us? Or maybe they did..."There is no dark side of the moon really. Matter of fact it's all dark."
See you in the gene pool
FrabulousFrog
No comments:
Post a Comment