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looking for Mars
Feb. 26th, 2011 10:53 amWhen I was learning science in school, the origin of the Moon was considered a mystery. There were various theories, but none held a consensus. More recently, there appears to have been a definite turn towards a particular theory, because I see it reported as settled fact often, for instance in the 2/28 New Yorker article on earth-grazing asteroids, by Tad Friend:
"Along the way, a collision with a Mars-size planet broke loose the mass that became the moon."
They always say "a Mars-size planet," and I wonder: what is this Mars-sized planet? Where did it come from? Where did it go? (Since the Moon itself evidently broke off from the Earth.) Were there a lot of rogue planets wandering around in the early days? What happened to them all? I know there are a lot of asteroids outside the asteroid belt, but if they were broken-up planets, wouldn't they be more clustered? Something's missing from this story, and the online sources I've seen are not helpful.
"Along the way, a collision with a Mars-size planet broke loose the mass that became the moon."
They always say "a Mars-size planet," and I wonder: what is this Mars-sized planet? Where did it come from? Where did it go? (Since the Moon itself evidently broke off from the Earth.) Were there a lot of rogue planets wandering around in the early days? What happened to them all? I know there are a lot of asteroids outside the asteroid belt, but if they were broken-up planets, wouldn't they be more clustered? Something's missing from this story, and the online sources I've seen are not helpful.
