All speculation. No one can know what happened so long ago, with any high degree of accuracy. Here’s my speculation:
Long ago, the Moon’s orbit was much closer to Earth. The gravitational tugs between the two bodies kept both hot. Over time, the Moon and Earth moved farther apart and slowed their rotations. There is much evidence that the Moon’s orbit is moving that body farther away from the Earth. Here’s the wonderful part. God put intelligent life on Earth just when the Moon can perfectly eclipse the Sun. Perfect balance; we take the Moon for granted but it does so much to help life exist on Earth.
orbit was much closer to Earth..”
yes, but measured and using uniformitarianism and billion years , the moon would be too close to earth, disrupting any chance of life.