New Insights Into Formation Of Earth, The Moon, And Mars

[Moontanman]

New Insights Into Formation of Earth, the Moon, and Mars

 

Artist's concept of rocky planets. New research reveals that the abundance of so-called highly siderophile, or metal-loving, elements like gold and platinum found in the mantles of Earth, the Moon and Mars were delivered by massive impactors during the final phase of planet formation over 4.5 billion years ago. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

 

ScienceDaily (Dec. 10, 2010) — New research reveals that the abundance of so-called highly siderophile, or metal-loving, elements like gold and platinum found in the mantles of Earth, the Moon and Mars were delivered by massive impactors during the final phase of planet formation over 4.5 billion years ago. The predicted sizes of the projectiles, which hit within tens of millions of years of the giant impact that produced our Moon, are consistent with current planet formation models as well as physical evidence such as the size distributions of asteroids and ancient Martian impact scars.

 

 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101209141130.htm