Scientists approach questions about the Moon’s formation from many angles, such as by searching for clues in objects from space, or through laboratory experiments and mathematical modeling. Many clues in solving the Moon origin mystery come from the study of Moon rocks. Between 1969 and 1972, six missions from NASA’s Apollo program collected numerous rock and soil samples from the Moon’s surface.

In the following pages, you will explore some of the data that have been gathered about the Moon, much of which comes from the study of Moon rocks. As you review each type of data, consider how it supports the giant impact hypothesis.