Computer models of massive space rock collisions point to an alternative 'instant' genesis for the Earth-moon system.
A massive impact may have sent the moon into orbit around Earth quickly, rather than forming a disc of debris from which the moon gradually evolved over time.
This alternative creation narrative for Earth's lunar companion was revealed by a highly complex computer
simulation created by Durham University's Institute for Computational Cosmology.
This faster creation scenario would also imply a different interior composition for the moon
which could explain some of the strange Earth-like properties observed in lunar samples.
The moon is considered to have created some 4.5 billion years ago when Earth was hit by a cosmic object the size of Mars known to scientists as 'Theia.'
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