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What theories of the moon's creation have scientists debunked?

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Final answer:

Theories of the Moon's creation such as the capture hypothesis, the fission hypothesis, and the sister hypothesis have been debunked due to issues such as orbital mechanics, compositional similarities, and new lunar data. The giant impact hypothesis is the currently accepted theory.

Step-by-step explanation:

Scientists have debunked several theories of the Moon's creation, including the capture hypothesis, the fission hypothesis, and the sister hypothesis. The capture hypothesis suggested that Earth captured the Moon from somewhere else, but it was dismissed due to the impossibility of capture without a substantial loss of energy, which would result in an eccentric orbit rather than the Moon's nearly circular one. Additionally, the compositional similarities between Earth and the Moon make an independent origin implausible.

Similarly, the fission hypothesis and sister hypothesis have been set aside as they were contradicted by new understanding and data about the Moon. Both were unable to adequately explain how the lunar material could have separated from Earth or formed alongside it, respectively.

The current accepted theory is the giant impact hypothesis, which suggests that the Moon was formed from the debris of a colossal impact between Earth and a Mars-sized object 4.5 billion years ago.

User Joel Harkes
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Answer:

Scientists have determined that Earth and the moon most likely could not have formed together when the solar system was created. If they had, the moon would have a large iron core like Earth's, but it instead has a small iron core.

Step-by-step explanation:

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User LYriCAlsSH
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