Produced by: Manoj Kumar
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.
Scientists believe a Mars-sized object collided with a young Earth, ejecting material into orbit to form the Moon.
Lunar zircon crystals, dated as old as 4.51 billion years, challenge previous theories of a global magma ocean.
The Moon’s early eccentric orbit caused tidal forces that remelted its crust 4.35 billion years ago.
Earth’s surface metals from early bombardments are missing on the Moon, likely sunk during remelting.
Tidal remelting may explain the Moon’s lack of expected impact basins from early solar system collisions.
Revised models show lunar zircons and surface rocks align with a timeline of crustal remelting.
Earth and the Moon may have been companions for almost their entire 4.54-billion-year lifespan.
The South Pole-Aitken Basin’s age and formation align with this new timeline of lunar remelting.
The study reshapes our understanding of the Moon’s formation, evolution, and its ties to Earth.