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Geochemical implications of the formation of the Moon by a single giant impact

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An Erratum to this article was published on 23 March 1989

Abstract

The origin of the Moon by a single massive impact of a body slightly larger than Mars with the Earth can explain the angular momentum, orbital characteristics and unique nature of the Earth–Moon system. The density and chemical differences between the Earth and the Moon are accounted for by deriving the Moon from the mantle of the impactor. A cosmochemically plausible impactor can be formed in the region of the inner Solar System, lending support to the impact hypothesis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Meteoritics and Department of Geology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87131, USA

    Horton E. Newsom

  2. Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia

    Stuart Ross Taylor

  3. Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, Texas, 77058–4399, USA

    Stuart Ross Taylor

Authors
  1. Horton E. Newsom
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  2. Stuart Ross Taylor
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Newsom, H., Ross Taylor, S. Geochemical implications of the formation of the Moon by a single giant impact. Nature 338, 29–34 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1038/338029a0

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