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Monday, November 23, 2009

Photo: Earth-Asteroid Collision Formed Moon Later Than Thought


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The moon formed from Earth fragments after a collision with a giant, Mars-size asteroid relatively late in our planet's formation, a new analysis of moon rocks has revealed.

The crash—shown above in this hypothetical rendering—occurred 30 million years later than previously believed, scientists say.

Illustration courtesy Fahad Sulehria, www.novacelestia.com