Most theories claim the Moon formed out of the debris of a collision between the Earth and an object about the size of Mars, called Theia, coalescing in orbit over months or years. A new simulation ...

Astronomers have taken a step towards understanding how the Moon might have formed out of a giant collision between the early Earth and another massive object 4.5 billion years ago. Scientists led by ...

Charlie has an undergraduate degree in Forensic Psychology and writes on topics from zoology and psychology to herpetology. Charlie has an undergraduate degree in Forensic Psychology and writes on ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Deep below the Earth’s crust, along ...

Computer simulations of giant space rock impacts suggest an alternative 'instant' origin for the Earth-moon system. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Artist’s impression of the planet Theia colliding with ancient Earth to create the moon. (MPS/Mark A. Garlick) Roughly four and a ...

The big picture: Theia is a hypothetical ancient planet that orbited the Sun during the formation of the solar system. According to the giant-impact hypothesis, this protoplanet collided with Earth ...

There may be chunks of an alien planet hiding within Earth. Scientists have long theorized that Earth collided with a planet called Theia 4.5 billion years ago, creating the Moon that we now see every ...

Billions of years ago, a version of our Earth that looks very different than the one we live on today was hit by an object about the size of Mars, called Theia – and out of that collision the Moon was ...