-
Oct28
Controversial Moon Origin Theory Rewrites History
Author: Susanta K Beura; Filed under: Science & Technology, Space Science; Tagged as: blasphemy, denison university, densi, early solar system, eight times, equator, geologic record, geological society of america, giant impact, gravitational friction, gravitational pull, impact hypothesis, impact model, mantle, new twist, ocean water, orbit, orbits, portland ore, upper layers
No Comments
The moon may have been adopted by our planet instead of descended from it.If a new twist on a decades-old theory is right, conditions in the early solar system suggest the moon formed inside Mercury’s orbit and migrated out until it was roped into orbit around Earth.
The idea flies in the face of scientific consensus, known as the giant impact hypothesis, which holds that the moon formed from red-hot debris left over after a Mars-sized object collided with Earth around 4.5 billion years ago.
However, the moon has several curious traits that go unexplained with that theory, and Robert Malcuit of Denison University has argued for decades for an alternative view of our moon’s history.
Malcuit’s version of events is tantamount to cosmic blasphemy, but scientists have recently found 4 billion-year-old minerals in Australia that suggest our planet was too cool to have sustained a cataclysmic moon-forming impact early in its history.
“Everything in the giant impact model is hot, hot, hot,” he said. “It’s incompatible with what we see in the geologic record. Earth is cool enough at that time to have ocean water on its surface.”
Malcuit’s computer modeling studies, which he has worked on since the 1980s, show that it is possible for Earth’s gravitational pull to capture the moon.
At first, the moon’s orbits would have been highly elliptical, swinging close to Earth and then far away about eight times a year.
The gravitational pull from each pass would have stretched the planet 18 to 20 kilometers (11.2 to 12.4 miles) near the equator, churning the hot mantle and crust. Rocks closer to the poles, like those found today in Australia, would have been spared. The upper layers of the newly-captured moon would have melted from gravitational friction, until the satellite’s orbit stabilized about 3 billion years ago.
Malcuit presented his theory at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in Portland, Ore.
Traditionally, scientists cite the moon’s low density and a lack of iron as reasons why it came from Earth — the giant impact skimmed light material off Earth’s upper layers and flung it into orbit.
“I think this it is highly unlikely,” that Malcuit’s idea is correct, Jack Lissauer of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in Moffett Field, Calif., said. “Capture is very, very difficult. You have to have just the right velocity and very special parameters to all be just right.”
Lissauer allowed that the current giant impact theory of the moon’s formation may yet be revised, even replaced, but probably not by Malcuit’s capture model. The fact that Earth was cool 4 billion years ago doesn’t mean the moon was captured.
“Heat from the impact dissipated very quickly,” he said. “It wouldn’t take 100 million years, and it certainly wouldn’t take 500 million. The impact is not going to affect Earth at 4 billion years ago.”
Site Status
Freelance Jobs At Scriptlance
- Clone Site And Applications We require a Complete Clone of www.studiom.com.au's site including the Envisage application. 1) I want a website with a strong CMS at the backend for us to upload text, images, videos on the site. There will also be a blog section in the front end. 2) We need an application like Envisage where a user visiting the site will be able to select the exterior, interior,kitchen etc of a house(Which we will supply for you to implement) and change its look by selecting and assigning material of th…
- Need 2000 Members 4 Social NetI just finished setting up a new social networking site and need vto jumpstart the site with at least 2000 – 3000 members – so this is for someone who is good at diverting traffic or who has a social site that he wants to move to a new platform… This is also geographical area specific
- JoomlaNeed to add some features inside phocadownload. Please do not bid if you do not have experience and ability to complete project fast and make a good work. Need this done in not more than a week since it is is not a lot of modification. Would love to have reliable and experienced person to work with since I have a lot more joomla projects that are coming. Project description: This component is phoca download that I like because it has play and preview features but I need following to be done. …
- Phpmotion/calender/flowplayer1) Replace Phpmotion video player with flowplayer. 2) Integrate and set me up to be able to stream live video on the main player, also ability to have links/ads/commercials on the player. (Maybe a chat box under the live video, but not a current necessity.) 3) A dynamic ad box next to the live feed that I can manually post links as the live feed plays. 4) Add an extra advertising slot below the video player. 5) Add an extra advertising slot on the members profile page. Top and Side. 5) B…
- Embed Email Subs. + Rss TickerA campaign to re-legalize hemp in one state needs to build an email list of supporters quickly. PART 1 We imagine an email subscription box with two links at the bottom, one says info and leads to the site, the other says embed and will open to display the code so supporters can post the subscription box on their site. The background of the email box would be a design that relates to the site and inspires action in supporters. Info collected will need to be name and email address. All data w…
- Sonar File Viewer And Gps MappI am looking for a quality coder to create a Side Scan Sonar Application for Windows XP/Vista/7 to playback Multibeam Sonar Files in a Graphical view, live viewing of gps tracks on chart and view Snapshot images from Sonar recordings. – Import/Export multiple sonar files to user created directories in dedicated MyProject folder in users My Documents – View sonar and snapshot files in preview format and display file data: time/date, length, #of pings, description, ect – Ability for user to en…
- Swoopo.com Auctions CloneIm looking for a team to develop a swoopo.com auctions clone in functions with a new aspect and in spanish language (translations could be done by me) I dont think that i have to give more details , just visit the web to see the features.
- Tv On Pc SoftwareLooking to rebrand a TV on PC Software application. The app should be windows XP – windows 7 Compatible. I will also need monthly channel updates. If you have a Mac version I would also be interested. I am not looking to make something from scratch so please dont ask. If you have please open a PMB with more details. Sample of the App is a plus.
- Website Design WorkHello, I am looking for an experienced Web designer to build some simple website pages as a test with the intention to have him build sites on a fulltime basis. The designer should have excellent experience with Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Flash, CSS, & other web designing tools. Joomla experience would be an asset. I am only looking for experienced designers that can build html (with flash, etc.) professional sites in excellent time frames (1 day for 3 pages if i give you an exact example s…
- Web Template Html+css+jqueryWe have built a Job Board site, and are looking for someone to help us out with the design part of the site. CSS+HTML+JQuery for the job board template. This is what we expect: – main welcome page +++ header >>>>> company logo on the left end >>>>> login fields on the right end >>>>> horizontal menu bar +++ left sidebar >>>>> Quicklinks >>>>> latest members with logo +++ main area >>>>> list of lates…
Partner links
Breaking News
- 'BSP rally a circus, Mayawati the Ringmaster'In a move that exposes the double standards of the Uttar Pradesh government, UP Chief Minister Mayawati is sponsoring around Rs 200 crore rupees on a rally to commemorate the silver jubilee celebrations of the Bahujan Samaj Party. The opposition has slammed Mayawati who ironically said she had no funds to spare for the Pratapgarh stampede victims just over a week ago.…
- HC order fuels resentment in ranksThe chorus for equality in the armed forces is only growing. On the one hand, women officers have been granted permanent commission. On the other, ex-servicemen in Bangalore are out on the streets – their demand ‘one rank, one pension’.…
Our Friends
Twitter links powered by Tweet This v1.6.1, a WordPress plugin for Twitter.