Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Origin of the Moon

  • Article
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

Explanation of the Moon's composition in a model for the condensation of the planets from a cloud of solar composition suggests that the Moon accreted at higher temperatures and lower pressures than the terrestrial planets. This may be explained if the lunar orbit initially had a high inclination.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hoyle, F., and Wickramasinghe, N. C., Nature, 217, 415 (1968).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Larimer, J. W., Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 31, 1215 (1967).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Gossman, L., Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta (in the press).

  4. Clark, jun., S. P., Turekian, K. K., and Grossman, L., in The Nature of the Solid Earth (edit. by Robertson, E. C.), 3 (McGraw-Hill, 1972).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Turekian, K. K., and Clark, jun., S. D., Earth Planet Sci. Letters, 6, 346 (1969).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Gerstenhorn, M., Z. Astrophys., 26, 245 (1955).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Singer, S. F., Geophys. J. Roy. Astron. Soc., 15, 205 (1968).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Ganapathy, R., Keays, R. R., Lanl, J. C., and Anders, E., Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, Suppl. 1, 1117 (1970).

  9. Gast, P. W., and McConnell, jun., R. R., Third Lunar Science Conference Abstracts, 257 (1972).

  10. Wasserburg, G. J., Turner, G., Tera, F., Podosek, F. A., Papanastassiou, D. A., and Hineke, J. C., Third Lunar Science Conference Abstracts, 695 (1972).

  11. Clark, jun., R. S., Jarosewich, E., Mason, B., Nelen, J., Gomez, M., and Hyde, J. R., Smithsonian Contrib. Earth Sci. No. 5 (1970).

  12. Sonett, C. P., Schubert, G., Smith, B. F., Schwartz, K., and Colburn, D. S., Proc. Second Lunar Science Cong., 2, 2415 (MIT, 1971).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Gast, P. W., Hubbard, N. J., and Wiesmann, H., Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, Suppl. 1, 1143 (1970).

  14. Mason, B., and Melson, W. G., The Lunar Rocks, 179 (Wiley–Interscience 1970).

  15. Paul, J. C., Morgan, J. W., Ganapathy, R., and Anders, E., Proc. Second Lunar Science Conf., 2, 1159 (MIT, 1971).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Wakita, H., and Schmidtt, R. W., Science, 170, 969 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Hubbard, N. J., Gast, P. W., Meyer, C., Nyquist, L., Shih, C., and Wiesmenn, H., Earth Planet. Sci. Letters, 13, 71 (1971).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Lord, H. C., III, Icarus, 4, 279 (1965).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Blander, M., and Katz, J. L., Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 35, 61 (1971).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Seismological Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, 91109

    DON L. ANDERSON

Authors
  1. DON L. ANDERSON
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

ANDERSON, D. The Origin of the Moon. Nature 239, 263–265 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1038/239263a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/239263a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation