Unraveling the Enigma: Exploring the Origins of the Moon
Scientists have proposed four leading theories on how the moon formed. The capture theory suggests that the moon was wandering through the universe and was captured into Earth's orbit. However, this theory is unlikely due to the moon's size. The accretion hypothesis suggests that the moon and Earth emerged from the same cosmic cloud of dust. Another theory suggests that the moon is material shed by the Earth as it started spinning. The most widely accepted theory is the giant impact theory, which suggests that a Mars-sized planet called Theia collided with Earth, causing material to be ejected into space and eventually forming the moon. However, there are still unanswered questions and ongoing research to reconcile the finer details of this theory.