Probing moon formation
These questions focus on ideas about the origin of Earth's moon and evidence that supports various explanations of its formation.
Educator Guide: How Earth Got its Moon
Theories of how the Earth’s moon formed. Did it form as the result of a collision with a large protoplanet?
NASA
About this guide
The article “How Earth got its moon” describes theories of how the Earth’s moon formed. Did it form as the result of a collision with a large protoplanet called Theia, or did multiple impacts create many mini moons that then merged over time? Computer modeling and isotopic analyses provide some data used to support or refute current theories. Scientists are still searching for other moon formation ideas and ways to test them. Students can focus on details in the article, follow connections to earlier articles about the origins of Earth’s moon and calculate relevant lunar properties for themselves.
This Guide Includes:
A lunar journey
Students will search the Science News archive for other stories related to moon formation.
Written in rock
These discussion prompts cover the types of rocks and minerals found on Earth, and isotopes, their measurement and their applications.
Goodnight moon
Students will calculate the angular momentum and density of the moon and consider the implications of the results for various theories of the moon's origin.