Moon Chemistry Confirms Violent Origin

SPACE.com ^ | 22 August 2006 | Jeanna Bryner

[redstates4ever]

They could have solved this mystery by just asking Helen Thomas, she must've seen it happen.

[Red Badger]

Calcium, eh?.......So, it's a giant Rolaids?.........

[martin_fierro]

Calcium, in particular, is found deep inside Earth. So if the Moon has a lot of calcium, then perhaps it is made of material that was once inside our planet.

Or else the moon has bones.

kidding.

[DonaldC]

So if the moon was ejected from the earth, why is it so round. Wouldn't it be chunky or odd shaped like an asteroid?

[rightwingcrazy]

Lots of gravity and lots of time.

[talleyman]

Moon Chemistry Confirms Violent Origin

"I blame Bush..."

[Jonah Hex]

Dark side

Since the Moon’s rotation around its axis is equal to its orbital period, or the time it takes the Moon to travel around Earth, the same side always faces Earth. While scientists have studied samples from the Moon’s near side, the far side and its polar regions have remained in the dark.

DAG-NABBIT!!! THE FAR SIDE AIN'T DARK!!!

(taking deep breath)

Sorry, that's a pet peeve of mine. I really hate it when people keep calling the far side of the Moon the dark side, since the far side is lit for two weeks every month. There may be places at the poles which never see the Sun, but don't confuse them with the lunar far side.

(climbing down from soapbox while muttering about explaining that the lunar terminator is not about Arnold on the Moon...)

[ElkGroveDan]

So if the moon was ejected from the earth, why is it so round. Wouldn't it be chunky or odd shaped like an asteroid?

Most of it was molten or in tiny pieces. Gravity then would draw it all into a spherical shape.

[Moonman62]

The Moon's shape is a function of its mass.

[Old_Mil]

Calcium, in particular, is found deep inside Earth. So if the Moon has a lot of calcium, then perhaps it is made of material that was once inside our planet.

Calcium is also found in dairy products. Cheese is a dairy product. Therefore it is likely that the moon is actually made out of green cheese.

[true_blue_texican]

bump for later

[Reaganesque]

Swell, another celebrity with a "I was abused as a child" story.

[Joe Bonforte]

If Earth collided with a Mars-sized planet, it's not clear to me how Earth could still have a near-circular orbit around the sun. I would think any such collision would seriously alter the orbit, perhaps even out of the plane of the ecliptic.

[Fitzcarraldo]

Where's the Mars-like planet now? Did it become Mars or was it absorbed into Earth?

[randog]

Calcium is also found in dairy products. Cheese is a dairy product. Therefore it is likely that the moon is actually made out of green cheese.

Mystery solved!

[Izzy Dunne]

If Earth collided with a Mars-sized planet, it's not clear to me how Earth could still have a near-circular orbit around the sun.

Consider if the primitive Earth and the Mar-sized planet were in almost the same orbit. The collision would have slowed down or sped up the Earth, but not significantly change its path.

[Alter Kaker]

In order to distract attention from the unfortunately mis-managed war in Lebanon, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has announced plans to blow up the moon. "The Moon had a violent origin," the Prime Minister told Haaretz, his comb-over slick with sweat, "and it will have a violent death!" The moon was not available for comment.

[LiteKeeper]

YEC INTREP

[onedoug]

Lots of gravity and lots of time.

And more: Guillermo Gonzalez & Jay W Richards, The Privileged Planet