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‘4.53 billion years ago’: Everything we knew about the Moon could be wrong

Produced by: Manoj Kumar

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Ancient Discovery

The Moon’s formation has been traced to 4.53 billion years ago, nearly as old as Earth itself, according to research by Francis Nimmo and team, published in Nature.

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Chaotic Collision

Scientists believe a Mars-sized object collided with a young Earth, ejecting material into orbit to form the Moon.

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Zircon Clues

Lunar zircon crystals, dated as old as 4.51 billion years, challenge previous theories of a global magma ocean.

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Orbital Heat

The Moon’s early eccentric orbit caused tidal forces that remelted its crust 4.35 billion years ago.

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Metal Mystery

Earth’s surface metals from early bombardments are missing on the Moon, likely sunk during remelting.

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Impact Erased

Tidal remelting may explain the Moon’s lack of expected impact basins from early solar system collisions.

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Ages Aligned

Revised models show lunar zircons and surface rocks align with a timeline of crustal remelting.

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Earth’s Twin

Earth and the Moon may have been companions for almost their entire 4.54-billion-year lifespan.

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Basin Insight

The South Pole-Aitken Basin’s age and formation align with this new timeline of lunar remelting.

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New Frontier

The study reshapes our understanding of the Moon’s formation, evolution, and its ties to Earth.