The collision of the early moon with an object 780 km wide made its sides not similar to each other

There is a hypothesis that the Moon is asymmetrical because in the past it collided with a large object such as

It is assumed that the impact was large and powerful enough for debris to fly out on one side and settle on the other.

The researchers analyzed data from the GRAIL spacecraft, which spent a year exploring the Moon forAnalysis showed sharp differences in the structure of the visible and far sides of the Earth's natural satellite.

Scientists then created a computer model of the effects of objects of different sizes and speeds to see which scenario, if any, best explains what is happening.

As a result, the researchers found thatthe visible part of the moon could crash into an object about 780 km wide, which moved at a speed of 22,500 km / h. The object was probably smaller - about 720 km wide, but its speed was 24,500 km / h.

NASA GRAIL orbiters have spent a littlemore than a year for several flights around the moon to determine the force of its gravity and to study its internal composition. These data showed a sharp difference in structure between the near and far sides of our natural satellite.

Previously re-analysis of data collectedby the Apollo mission seismographs, and the LRO spectrograph data showed that the depths of the moon continue to cool, and the Earth satellite is still seismically active.