Artist’s depiction of a collision between two planetary bodies. New research suggests the stark difference between the Moon’s heavily-cratered farside and the lower-lying open basins of the near side were caused by a wayward dwarf planet colliding with the Moon in the early history of the solar system.

NASA/JPL-Caltech.

Our Moon is a game of two halves, and scientists now think they know why. From Earth, we see only one side of the lunar surface, a side of low-lying open plains of basalt formed by lava from ancient volcanoes. These lunar mares (Latin for “seas”) of the Moon’s nearside make up the famous ‘man in the Moon’. Meanwhile, the far side of the Moon is heavily-cratered, has no mares, and goes largely unseen.

What caused these stark differences between the Moon’s two sides? It may have been a collision between the Moon and a dwarf planet, according to new research, who think they’ve solved a mystery that has puzzled scientists ever since the Moon’s far side was first photographed in the 1960s.

The rarely-seen far side of the moon, which has a thicker crust and an extra layer of material compared to the nearside.

NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University

What is the ‘dark side of the moon?’

That’s an album by Pink Floyd and not an actual place. The Moon is tidally locked to Earth, rotating once every 29 days, the same length of its orbit. So from Earth, we only get to see one side, the near-side, and though it oscillates slightly, most of the far side is impossible to see. It’s not “dark” because the Moon’s far side is illuminated exactly as much as its nearside. We may not see it, but the far side was photographed by the Apollo missions of the 196s and 1970s, and other spacecraft, most recently by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), which has been orbiting the moon since 2009.

The “dark side of the moon” is thought to be a reference to lunacy by Pink Floyd lyricist Roger Waters. It’s not an actual place.

The Moon’s nearside features lunar “mares”, ancient lava plains.

Getty

What’s been discovered?

New evidence about the Moon’s crust suggests the differences in the near side and far side were caused by a dwarf planet colliding with the Moon in the early history of the solar system. A report on the new research has been published in the AGU’s Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets detailing how the crust is thicker and includes an extra layer of material on its far side.

‘Merging moons’ theory

The Moon’s asymmetry has been the subject of many theories. One is that there were once two moons orbiting Earth and they merged, creating the single moon we know today.

‘Giant impact’ theory

Was there once an asteroid or a young dwarf planet in orbit around the Sun on a collision course with the Moon? “This idea would have happened later than the merging moons scenario after the Moon had formed a solid crust,” says Meng Hua Zhu of the Space Science Institute at Macau University of Science and Technology and lead author of the new study. Are there signs of such an impact visible in the structure of the lunar crust today? Yes, says the paper.

The final flight path for NASA’s twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission spacecraft, which impacted the moon on Dec. 17, 2012.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSFC/ASU

What’s the evidence?

Measurements made by the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission in 2012 has given scientists more clues to the structure of the Moon. “The detailed gravity data obtained by GRAIL has given new insight into the structure of the lunar crust underneath the surface,” said Zhu. The study’s authors ran 360 computer simulations of giant impacts with the Moon to find out whether such an event millions of years ago could reproduce the crust of today’s Moon as detected by GRAIL.

A “giant impact” model might also explain the differences in isotopes of potassium, phosphorus and rare-earth elements like tungsten-182 between the surfaces of the Earth and Moon. “Our model can thus explain this isotope anomaly in the context of the giant impact scenario of the Moon’s origin,” the researchers write.

The dwarf planet that may have hit the Moon’s nearside was a bit smaller than Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and the only dwarf planet located in the inner solar system.

NASA/JPL-CalTech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA

How big was the dwarf planet?

The researchers found that the best fit for today’s asymmetrical Moon to be a large body around 480 miles/780 kilometers in diameter that impacted the nearside of the Moon at 14,000 miles per hour/22,500 kilometers per hour. That’s slightly smaller than dwarf planet Ceres.

What happened after the ‘giant impact?’

Vast amounts of material would have been thrown up and then fallen back on the Moon’s surface, thereby burying the primordial crust on the far side in three to six miles (five to 10 kilometers) of debris, creating a layer of crust detected on the far side by GRAIL.

How important is this study?

“This is a paper that will be very provocative,” said Steve Hauck, a professor of planetary geodynamics at Case Western Reserve University and Editor-in-Chief of JGR: Planets. “Understanding the origin of the differences between the nearside and the farside of the Moon is a fundamental issue in lunar science. Indeed, several planets have hemispherical dichotomies, yet for the Moon, we have a lot of data to be able to test models and hypotheses with, so the implications of the work could likely be broader than just the Moon.”

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Artist’s representation of a crash in between 2 planetary bodies. New research study recommends the plain distinction in between the Moon’s heavily-cratered farside and the lower-lying open basins of the near side were brought on by a stubborn dwarf world hitting the Moon in the early history of the planetary system.

NASA/JPL-Caltech.

Our Moon is a video game of 2 halves, and researchers now believe they understand why. From Earth, we see just one side of the lunar surface area, a side of low-lying open plains of basalt formed by lava from ancient volcanoes. These lunar mares ( Latin for” seas “) of the Moon’s nearside comprise the popular ‘guy in the Moon’. On the other hand, the far side of the Moon is heavily-cratered, has no mares, and goes mainly hidden.

What triggered these plain distinctions in between the Moon’s 2 sides? It might have been a crash in between the Moon and a dwarf world, according to brand-new research study, who believe they have actually fixed a secret that has actually puzzled researchers since the Moon’s far side was very first photographed in the 1960 s.

The rarely-seen far side of

the moon, which has a thicker crust and an additional layer of product compared to the nearside.

NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University

(*********
)

What is the ‘dark side of the moon?’

That’s an album by Pink Floyd and not a real location. The Moon is tidally locked to Earth, turning when every 29 days, the very same length of its orbit. So from Earth, we just get to see one side, the near-side, and though it oscillates somewhat, the majority of the far side is difficult to see. It’s not “dark” since the Moon’s far side is brightened precisely as much as its nearside. We might not see it, however the far side was photographed by the Apollo objectives of the 196 s and 1970 s, and other spacecraft, most just recently by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), which has actually been orbiting the moon because 2009.

The “dark side of the moon” is believed to be a recommendation to lunacy by Pink Floyd lyricist Roger Waters It’s not a real location.

The Moon’s nearside functions lunar” mares “, ancient lava plains.

Getty

What’s been found?

Brand-new proof about the Moon’s crust recommends the distinctions in the near side and far side were brought on by a dwarf world hitting the Moon in the early history of the planetary system. A report on the brand-new research study has actually been released in the AGU’s Journal of Geophysical Research Study: Worlds detailing how the crust is thicker and consists of an additional layer of product on its far side.

‘ Combining moons’ theory

The Moon’s asymmetry has actually been the topic of lots of theories. One is that there were when 2 moons orbiting Earth and they combined, developing the single moon we understand today.

‘ Huge effect’ theory

Existed when an asteroid or a young dwarf world in orbit around the Sun on a clash with the Moon? “This concept would have occurred behind the combining moons situation after the Moon had actually formed a strong crust,” states Meng Hua Zhu of the Area Science Institute at Macau University of Science and Innovation and lead author of the brand-new research study. Exist indications of such an effect noticeable in the structure of the lunar crust today? Yes, states the paper.

The last flight course for NASA’s twin Gravity Healing and Interior Lab (GRAIL) objective spacecraft, which affected the moon on Dec. 17, 2012.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSFC/ ASU

What’s the proof?

Measurements made by the Gravity Healing and Interior Lab (GRAIL) objective in 2012 has actually provided researchers more hints to the structure of the Moon. “The in-depth gravity information gotten by GRAIL has actually provided brand-new insight into the structure of the lunar crust below the surface area,” stated Zhu. The research study’s authors ran 360 computer system simulations of huge effects with the Moon to discover whether such an occasion countless years earlier might recreate the crust these days’s Moon as identified by GRAIL.

A “huge effect” design may likewise discuss the distinctions in isotopes of potassium, phosphorus and rare-earth aspects like tungsten-182 in between the surface areas of the Earth and Moon. “Our design can therefore discuss this isotope anomaly in the context of the huge effect situation of the Moon’s origin,” the scientists compose.

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)

The dwarf world that might have struck the Moon’s nearside was a bit smaller sized than Ceres, the biggest item in the asteroid belt in between Mars and Jupiter and the only dwarf world situated in the inner planetary system.

NASA/JPL-CalTech/UCLA/ MPS/DLR/IDA

How huge was the dwarf world?

The scientists discovered that the very best suitable for today’s unbalanced Moon to be a big body around 480 miles/780 kilometers in size that affected the nearside of the Moon at 14,000 miles per hour/22,500 kilometers per hour. That’s somewhat smaller sized than dwarf world Ceres.

What took place after the ‘huge effect?’

Huge quantities of product would have been tossed up and after that drawn on the Moon’s surface area, therefore burying the prehistoric crust on the far side in 3 to 6 miles (5 to 10 kilometers) of particles, developing a layer of crust identified on the far side by GRAIL.

How crucial is this research study?

” This is a paper that will be really intriguing,” stated Steve Hauck, a teacher of planetary geodynamics at Case Western Reserve University and Editor-in-Chief of JGR: Worlds “Comprehending the origin of the distinctions in between the nearside and the farside of the Moon is an essential concern in lunar science. Certainly, a number of worlds have hemispherical dichotomies, yet for the Moon, we have a great deal of information to be able to check designs and hypotheses with, so the ramifications of the work might likely be more comprehensive than simply the Moon.”

” readability =”104
48273394167″ >

.

Artist’s representation of a crash in between 2 planetary bodies. New research study recommends the plain distinction in between the Moon’s heavily-cratered farside and the lower-lying open basins of the near side were brought on by a stubborn dwarf world hitting the Moon in the early history of the planetary system.

NASA/JPL-Caltech.

.

.

Our Moon is a video game of 2 halves, and researchers now believe they understand why. From Earth, we see just one side of the lunar surface area, a side of low-lying open plains of basalt formed by lava from ancient volcanoes. These lunar mares (Latin for “seas”) of the Moon’s nearside comprise the popular ‘guy in the Moon’. On the other hand, the far side of the Moon is heavily-cratered, has no mares , and goes mainly hidden.

What triggered these plain distinctions in between the Moon’s 2 sides? It might have been a crash in between the Moon and a dwarf world, according to brand-new research study, who believe they have actually fixed a secret that has actually puzzled researchers since the Moon’s far side was very first photographed in the 1960 s.

.

.

The rarely-seen far side of the moon, which has a thicker crust and an additional layer of product compared to the nearside.

NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University

.

.

What is the ‘dark side of the moon?’

That’s an album by Pink Floyd and not a real location. The Moon is tidally locked to Earth, turning when every 29 days, the very same length of its orbit. So from Earth, we just get to see one side, the near-side, and though it oscillates somewhat, the majority of the far side is difficult to see. It’s not “dark” since the Moon’s far side is brightened precisely as much as its nearside. We might not see it, however the far side was photographed by the Apollo objectives of the 196 s and 1970 s, and other spacecraft, most just recently by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), which has actually been orbiting the moon because2009

.

The “dark side of the moon” is believed to be a recommendation to lunacy by Pink Floyd lyricist Roger Waters It’s not a real location.

.

.

The Moon’s nearside functions lunar “mares”, ancient lava plains.

Getty

.

.

What’s been found?

Brand-new proof about the Moon’s crust recommends the distinctions in the near side and far side were brought on by a dwarf world hitting the Moon in the early history of the planetary system. A report on the brand-new research study has actually been released in the AGU’s Journal of Geophysical Research Study: Worlds detailing how the crust is thicker and consists of an additional layer of product on its far side.

‘Combining moons’ theory

The Moon’s asymmetry has actually been the topic of lots of theories. One is that there were when 2 moons orbiting Earth and they combined, developing the single moon we understand today.

‘Huge effect’ theory

Existed when an asteroid or a young dwarf world in orbit around the Sun on a clash with the Moon? “This concept would have occurred behind the combining moons situation after the Moon had actually formed a strong crust,” states Meng Hua Zhu of the Area Science Institute at Macau University of Science and Innovation and lead author of the brand-new research study. Exist indications of such an effect noticeable in the structure of the lunar crust today? Yes, states the paper.

.

.

The last flight course for NASA’s twin Gravity Healing and Interior Lab (GRAIL) objective spacecraft, which affected the moon on Dec. 17,2012

. NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSFC/ ASU

.

.

What’s the proof?

Measurements made by the Gravity Healing and Interior Lab (GRAIL) objective in 2012 has actually provided researchers more hints to the structure of the Moon. “The in-depth gravity information gotten by GRAIL has actually provided brand-new insight into the structure of the lunar crust below the surface area,” stated Zhu. The research study’s authors ran 360 computer system simulations of huge effects with the Moon to discover whether such an occasion countless years earlier might recreate the crust these days’s Moon as identified by GRAIL.

A “huge effect” design may likewise discuss the distinctions in isotopes of potassium, phosphorus and rare-earth aspects like tungsten – 182 in between the surface areas of the Earth and Moon. “Our design can therefore discuss this isotope anomaly in the context of the huge effect situation of the Moon’s origin,” the scientists compose.

.

.

The dwarf world that might have struck the Moon’s nearside was a bit smaller sized than Ceres, the biggest item in the asteroid belt in between Mars and Jupiter and the only dwarf world situated in the inner planetary system.

NASA/JPL-CalTech/UCLA/ MPS/DLR/IDA

.

.

How huge was the dwarf world?

The scientists discovered that the very best suitable for today’s unbalanced Moon to be a big body around 480 miles/ 780 kilometers in size that affected the nearside of the Moon at 14, 000 miles per hour/ 22, 500 kilometers per hour. That’s somewhat smaller sized than dwarf world Ceres.

What took place after the ‘huge effect?’

Huge quantities of product would have been tossed up and after that drawn on the Moon’s surface area, therefore burying the prehistoric crust on the far side in 3 to 6 miles (5 to 10 kilometers) of particles, developing a layer of crust identified on the far side by GRAIL.

How crucial is this research study?

“This is a paper that will be really intriguing,” stated Steve Hauck, a teacher of planetary geodynamics at Case Western Reserve University and Editor-in-Chief of JGR: Worlds “Comprehending the origin of the distinctions in between the nearside and the farside of the Moon is an essential concern in lunar science. Certainly, a number of worlds have hemispherical dichotomies, yet for the Moon, we have a great deal of information to be able to check designs and hypotheses with, so the ramifications of the work might likely be more comprehensive than simply the Moon.”

.