These and other data have helped scientists piece together the story of the Moon’s formation. Click on the video for a narrated description of the giant impact that formed the Moon, as scientists currently understand it.
The giant impact scenario is consistent with the early solar system being a very violent place, with objects continually colliding and merging into one another. The energy released from the off-center collision would have resulted in the vaporization and ejection of rock, primarily from Theia, into orbit around Earth. Over time, this disk of molten and vaporized materials cooled, condensed, and accreted to form the Moon.
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