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Controversial Moon Origin Theory Rewrites History

Posted October 23, 2009 9:52 AM

From Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel:

he moon may have been adopted by our planet instead of descended from it. If a new twist on a decades-old theory is right, conditions in the early solar system suggest the moon formed inside Mercury's orbit and migrated out until it was roped into orbit around Earth.

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Guru

Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: El Lago, Texas, USA
Posts: 2348
Good Answers: 51
#1

Re: Controversial Moon Origin Theory Rewrites History

10/23/2009 3:27 PM

Six of one, half a dozen of the other.

Guest
#2
In reply to #1

Re: Controversial Moon Origin Theory Rewrites History

10/26/2009 12:19 PM

Indeed.

Posession is 9/10ths of the law. If the Mercurtonians want their sister planet back, they can see us in court.

Power-User

Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: East Texas
Posts: 239
Good Answers: 6
#3

Re: Controversial Moon Origin Theory Rewrites History

10/27/2009 12:23 AM

Quoting - "Malcuit's computer modeling studies, which he has worked on since the 1980s, show that it is possible for Earth's gravitational pull to capture the moon.

At first, the moon's orbits would have been highly elliptical, swinging close to Earth and then far away about eight times a year."

This is an interesting theory. I wish the author of the article would have taken the time to explain how or what caused the orbital energy of the moon to change to such a degree that moves from a heliocentric (actually solar system barycenter centric) to a earth/moon barycenter orbit. I somehow believe this would require very significant changes in energy. It would be interesting to learn how that energy was conserved.

I wish the experts would utilize such radical changes in theory to educate us in regards to the fundamentals of the science.

Gavilan

__________________
As greed and avarice begin to drive our collective imagination, we become blindered to the narrow path of our immediate pursuit and are no longer capable of referencing the bearings presented to us by our horizons.
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Associate

Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Bryan/College Station, TEXAS; in the good ol' US of A
Posts: 52
Good Answers: 3
#4
In reply to #3

Re: Controversial Moon Origin Theory Rewrites History

10/27/2009 5:11 PM

Good one about the orbital energy change required for the earth to "capture" the moon.

__________________
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. -- A Lincoln
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