Scientists think the moon is millions of years younger than anyone realized

Researchers with the German Aerospace Center believe the moon is at least 85 million years younger than we thought, putting the Earth's closest neighbor at 4.425 billion years old instead of the previously estimated 4.51 billion. The new analysis of the moon's age has also offered insight into the timeline of events that occurred during the development of our planet and its moon. The finding, published in Science Advances on July 10, is part of an ongoing debate about the age of the moon.

Popular theory suggests that the old rock was created during a time when the solar system was a very volatile environment. As the Earth was forming, a proto-planet called Theia collided into it, causing chunks and debris to fly into space. The Earth's gravity held onto the debris, which eventually coalesced together to form our moon.

This theory is called the 'Giant Impact Hypothesis.'

The hypothesis has gone through a few tweaks and adjustments as scientists attempt to prove or disprove it. Last year, NASA researchers announced that their analysis of moon samples from the Apollo missions revealed that the moon was made of similar materials to Earth, which challenged the initial idea that the moon was a broken chunk of Theia.

The German research team, led by geophysicist Maxime Maurice, then figured they could calculate the age of the moon based on computerized models of the Theia collision and the subsequent cooling of the moon's magma ocean that theoretically existed as it formed. Read the free article.