Abstract
The origin of the Moon by a single massive impact of a body slightly larger than Mars with the Earth can explain the angular momentum, orbital characteristics and unique nature of the Earth–Moon system. The density and chemical differences between the Earth and the Moon are accounted for by deriving the Moon from the mantle of the impactor. A cosmochemically plausible impactor can be formed in the region of the inner Solar System, lending support to the impact hypothesis.
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Newsom, H., Ross Taylor, S. Geochemical implications of the formation of the Moon by a single giant impact. Nature 338, 29–34 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1038/338029a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/338029a0
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