New research suggests we were wrong about the origins of the moon

Moon's formation.
(Image credit: NASA)

Is everything we know about how the moon was formed a lie?

Until the last decade, everyone pretty much agreed on the most likely theory on the formation of the moon. Back when Earth was young, a huge rock crashed into it, taking part of the Earth's mass with it and forming it as a satellite that orbits our planet. The "Giant Impact Hypothesis," as it's called, makes some sense — but recent analysis of moon rocks have put some holes in that theory.

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Shivani is the editorial assistant at TheWeek.com and has previously written for StreetEasy and Mic.com. A graduate of the physics and journalism departments at NYU, Shivani currently lives in Brooklyn and spends free time cooking, watching TV, and taking too many selfies.