Recently, a study from the University of California (USA) has reached the conclusion that our Earth today is the combination of two planets from over 4.5 billion years ago.
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Previously, scientists believed that the Moon was formed as a result of a powerful collision between Earth and a smaller planet named Theia. This collision caused Theia to break apart, giving rise to our Moon as we know it today.
However, if that were the case, the chemical composition of the Moon should be vastly different from ours, as most of the Moon was thought to be derived from Theia. Yet, through practical tests conducted by the University of California, the Moon shares the same oxygen isotopes as Earth, specifically O-17 and O-18.
This indicates that the collision between Theia and Earth in the past must have been incredibly powerful, to the extent that the two planets fused together, forming a new Earth. In this process, a fragment was ejected to create the Moon.
“We don’t see any difference between the oxygen isotopes on Earth and the Moon; they are identical,” says Edward Young, a professor of geochemistry and cosmochemistry.
Professor Young shares, “Theia mixed thoroughly with both the Earth and the Moon, which explains why we don’t see any sign of Theia on either planet.”
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This event took place approximately 100 million years after the formation of Earth, around 4.5 billion years ago. At that time, Theia was a smaller-sized planet, which is why it couldn’t “survive” the collision.
According to Professor Young, if this event hadn’t occurred, Theia could have grown to the size of Mars or Earth. It even leaves open the possibility that Theia could have supported life.
The study was published in the Science journal.