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The Moon’s Long Lost Twin Found
International Business Times ^ | 8/11/2011 | International Business Times

Posted on 03/24/2012 12:57:47 AM PDT by U-238

The moon maybe palely alone in the night sky today but according to scientists it is possible that the there was a second, smaller moon 4.4 billion years ago.

A paper published in the journal Nature theorized that there was a smaller moon created in the same impact that created the moon. Astronomers, Martin Jutzi and Erik Asphaug of the University of California at Santa Cruz have long wondered why the moon had two incongruous sides, one smooth with flat plains and another side full of rugged mountains and craters.

The astronomers started thinking that the mountainous region had been added to a pre-existing surface. This theory follows the generally held belief that the moon was formed after a Mars-sized planetoid crashed into Earth to blast a cloud of debris into space that would eventually congeal into the moon. Smaller pieces could have formed at a Trojan point or a place in the same orbit as the moon but ahead or behind it.

The mini-Moon would eventually become gravitationally unstable and would fall back to the bigger Moon. Jutzi and Asphaug's computer simulations of the event show that the Moon's smaller twin wouldn't fall back to the moon in a fiery explosion but in gentle descent. Not with a bang but with a splat.

"Being slow, it does not form a crater, but splats material onto one side," Professor Asphaug said. The extra mini-Moon mass would account for the extra material on the far side of the moon.

The scenario also explains other features found in the moon including why the side facing Earth has so much lava. At the time of the impact the extra mass added to the other side of the moon could have moved the magma beneath the crust upwards to the near side of the

(Excerpt) Read more at au.ibtimes.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Technical
KEYWORDS: astronomy; astrophysics; catastrophism; moon; solarsystem; spacescience; stellarscience; xplanets
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1 posted on 03/24/2012 12:57:55 AM PDT by U-238
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To: SunkenCiv; KevinDavis

Ping


2 posted on 03/24/2012 1:00:11 AM PDT by U-238
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To: SunkenCiv
Sconce ping
3 posted on 03/24/2012 1:00:54 AM PDT by skinkinthegrass (Simple: Kill the terrorists, Protect (all) the borders, ridicule all the (surviving) Liberals :^)
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To: U-238
in the same impact that created the moon.

It wasn't created by impact, it was SPOKEN into existence. They need to live with it as they will NEVER 'figure it out' but they make a good sideshow.

4 posted on 03/24/2012 1:07:33 AM PDT by presently no screen name
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To: U-238

Astronomy and astrophysics ping.

(Heh, hehe, uhhhhh, he said “ass fog”.)


5 posted on 03/24/2012 1:08:00 AM PDT by lefty-lie-spy (Stay metal. For the Horde \m/("_")\m/ - via iPhone from Tokyo.)
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To: U-238

It would seem a sample return mission to the dark side
of the moon is in order, that would tell a lot about
this theory.


6 posted on 03/24/2012 1:10:41 AM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: skinkinthegrass

I believe it’s spelled scones.

It’s a biscuit.


7 posted on 03/24/2012 1:12:26 AM PDT by Jonty30 (What Islam and secularism have in common is that they are both death cults.)
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To: tet68

I agree. There has not been any missions to the “far side” to collect samples.


8 posted on 03/24/2012 1:14:11 AM PDT by U-238
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To: Jonty30

Now you are getting me hungry for one.


9 posted on 03/24/2012 1:16:49 AM PDT by U-238
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To: lefty-lie-spy
Crazy story. So far I have,
Nature theorized
Jutzi and Asphaug
Flat plains, rugged mountains, and craters
congeal, trojan
gentle decent
bang and splat.

Beavus and Butthead would have a field day with this eco porno.
Professor Asphaug!

10 posted on 03/24/2012 1:23:51 AM PDT by MaxMax
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To: presently no screen name

God works through His natural laws, and the hearts of men, or where’s the value of a miracle?


11 posted on 03/24/2012 1:50:04 AM PDT by steve8714 (Clay...Carnahan...who is the least of these?)
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To: steve8714

His natural laws are supernatural to us. He spoke the creation and all it contains into existence and His Word holds it up. There is no figuring it out. Honor the Creator not on the created.


12 posted on 03/24/2012 2:15:10 AM PDT by presently no screen name
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To: presently no screen name

Speaking of sideshows...


13 posted on 03/24/2012 2:28:07 AM PDT by BigCinBigD
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To: presently no screen name

I do, but remember the Scripture is the INSPIRED word of God. We don’t believe an angel passed on verbatim, nor do we presume the translation was always perfect. We aren’t Moslems.


14 posted on 03/24/2012 2:41:27 AM PDT by steve8714 (Clay...Carnahan...who is the least of these?)
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To: steve8714

God is MORE than capable of getting HIS WORD to us just like HE WANTS IT. If you think otherwise, you have the problem, not the interpretation. So don’t say ‘we’ when posting to me.

God’s Word is Holy Spirit inspired and, thus, is spiritually discerned.


15 posted on 03/24/2012 3:36:55 AM PDT by presently no screen name
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To: BigCinBigD

This isn’t a dress rehearsal and one’s eternity can start at any moment. It isn’t rocket science where one should place their priorities.


16 posted on 03/24/2012 3:42:19 AM PDT by presently no screen name
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To: presently no screen name

So you speak aramaic, and have read it in the original? Because I have got to tell you, the various tranlations are not equal. Which do you use?


17 posted on 03/24/2012 3:51:23 AM PDT by patton (DateDiff)
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To: patton

The HOLY SPIRIT is the Teacher. Drop the translation ‘excuse’. It might work on someone you want to deceive but it doesn’t work on me.


18 posted on 03/24/2012 3:58:15 AM PDT by presently no screen name
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To: presently no screen name

As you wish. Bless your heart, you are a TRUE believer.


19 posted on 03/24/2012 4:05:08 AM PDT by patton (DateDiff)
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popcorn self-ping


20 posted on 03/24/2012 4:05:40 AM PDT by ExGeeEye (Islam: a transnational fascist government that demands worship.)
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