A groundbreaking new study suggests that Earth and Theia were actually neighbors in the early Solar System. Around 4.5 billion years ago, a dramatic event unfolded: Theia, a Mars-sized celestial body, crashed into the young Earth. This legendary collision didn’t just shake things up—it changed everything.
Before this monumental impact, Earth and Theia may have orbited near each other, almost like cosmic roommates with a ticking time bomb between them. Scientists have long debated the details of this collision, but what’s certain is that the aftermath was epic. The collision changed Earth’s size, composition, and orbit, and most importantly, it gave birth to our moon. That’s right—the moon’s origin story is basically one of the universe’s greatest neighbor disputes!
The Moon: A Silver Lining
Think about it: We owe the tides, lunar eclipses, and countless romantic moonlit walks to a planetary smash-up. If Theia had kept its distance, date nights might be a lot less magical. This find not only rewrites our planetary history but also highlights just how wild and unpredictable our cosmic neighborhood really is. Makes you wonder if any other planets out there are missing a pesky neighbor, right?
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Universe Today: New Research Suggest Earth and Theia were Neighbors Before They Collided