Planet that Collided with Earth Likely From Our Solar System; Study Finds

The Lost Planet That Gave Birth to the Moon May Have Been Earth’s Next-Door Neighbor

Scientists trace the moon’s parent planet to the inner solar system.

Planet that collided with Earth likely from our solar system; study finds

Scientists believe the moon was formed from the debris of a collision between Earth and the planet Theia, which was likely located closer to the sun than Earth is now.

Before their big smashup, Theia and Earth were neighbors

View larger. | Theia and Earth collided about 4.5 billion years ago, as depicted in this artist’s concept. The moon then formed out of the chaos. Image via Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research/ Mark A. Garlick. Theia was a young, still-forming planet like Earth in the early solar system. Where did it originate? Theia and Earth experienced a massive collision about 4.5 billion years ago. The collision formed the moon and left traces of…

Scientists reveal Theia’s origins before it struck early Earth and formed the Moon

The story of how the Moon came to be has always carried a touch of mystery. Picture the young Solar System as a restless place where new worlds grew from swirling gas, dust, and rock. In that chaotic setting, a Mars-sized body called Theia likely struck the early Earth. The collision reshaped our planet and scattered debris into space. That debris later gathered into the Moon that lights your night sky. Scientists agree on the broad outline of t…