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Artwork of the young Earth-Moon system. The Earth had recently formed when it was struck by a protoplanet called Theia roughly three times the size of Mars. Debris from the impact went into orbit, while the cores of the two planets merged. Within weeks of the event, the debris formed a Saturn-like ring around the Earth. Later collisions in this ring led to the formation of the Moon, probably within just a few thousand years. Initially the Earth and Moon were much closer together than they are now, and spinning more quickly.

Space

Moon mystery could be solved by simulation of planetary smash-up

The moon is thought to have been created in a violent collision, and a new simulation of the event could answer questions that have puzzled astrophysicists

News

space junk

Space

We don’t know whose rocket is about to hit the moon – that’s a problem

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Yutu-2 rover

Space

Yutu-2 lunar rover finds sticky soil on the far side of the moon

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The moon

Space

The moon's magnetic field may have been altered by huge sinking rocks

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$NASA image of Troctolite 76535. NASA/Johnson Space Center photograph S73-19456. - [1] Troctolite sample 76535 brought back from the Moon by Apollo 17. This sample has a mass of 156 grams and is up to 5 centimeters across. It was collected as part of a rake sample at station 6 at the foot of the North Massif. Another view of this sample was used in Figure 7-16 of the Apollo 17 Preliminary Science Report (SP-330, 1973), which has the following caption: Coarse-grained norite (sample 76535) with fresh-appearing plagioclase (white to light gray) that has typical striations of albite twinning. Although pyroxenes (medium gray) are fractured along cleavage planes, they do not appear badly crushed.$

Space

Apollo 17 rock sample hints the moon cooled faster than we thought

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Fix the Planet newsletter: The tide is turning for sea power

Environment

Fix the Planet newsletter: The tide is turning for sea power

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Chang'e 5 landing site

Space

Rocks gathered by Chang'e 5 rover show magma once spewed from the moon

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Tim Peake

Video

Tim Peake: The future of humans in space

Video

A landscape view of the surface of the moon

Space

Oxygen and water for lunar explorers can be extracted from moon rocks

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The moon may never actually have had a strong magnetic field

Space

The moon may never actually have had a strong magnetic field

We used to think that the moon had a strong magnetic field like Earth's, but a new analysis of rocks collected by the Apollo missions suggests that previous signs of magnetism came from asteroid impacts instead

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Space

Part of the Apollo 11 spacecraft may still be in orbit around the moon

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Video

What would happen if there was no moon? Science with Sam explains

Video

Space

Science with Sam: What would happen if there was no moon?

Video

Space

Partial solar eclipse will be visible in the UK and Ireland on 10 June

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