Which of these is the BEST explanation for the origin of the Moon?
A) The Moon was created in its orbit around Earth by the same process that produced Earth, namely the collision of planetesimals that had formed by condensation and accretion of gas and dust.
B) The Moon was created by the process described in (A) but at some other location in the solar system.
C) While Earth was semimolten early in its formation, a chunk of material was flung out of it. It went into orbit and evolved to become the Moon.
D) The Moon was created by the process described in (C) except that the ejection was caused by a large impact of some object or objects on Earth.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The prevailing scientific theory, known as the giant-impact hypothesis, suggests that the Moon formed when a Mars-sized body collided with the early Earth, ejecting material that eventually coalesced into the Moon. This aligns with option D, where the Moon's formation is attributed to material ejected from Earth due to a significant impact.

Which of These Is the BEST Explanation for the Origin