Earth's moon could have formed in just 5 hours after giant impact

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Earth sets at 5:41 p.m. CDT, April 6, 2026, over the moon's curved limb in this photo captured by the Artemis II crew during their journey around the far side of the moon. | Credit: NASA The moon could have formed in a matter of hours following the giant impact between Earth and a Mars-size protoplanet early in the history of the solar system. The theory comes from new simulations that take int…