Photo: Earth-Asteroid Collision Formed Moon Later Than Thought



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


NEWS FEEDS    After installing a news reader, click on this icon to download National Geographic News's XML/RSS feed. After installing a news reader, click on this icon to download National Geographic News's XML/RSS feed.

Get our news delivered directly to your desktop—free.
How to Use XML or RSS

ADVERTISEMENT

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC'S PHOTO OF THE DAY

50 Drives of a Lifetime

National Geographic Traveler has scoured the globe for the world's most beautiful, interesting, and off-beat road trips. Dive in to get drive directions, quizzes, photos, and more.