Re: VERY IMPORTANT PLEASE READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

["Mark Sumner" <range@inlink.com>]

-----Original Message-----
From: ETHEREDM <ETHEREDM@aol.com>
>IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? I think that Earth once had two moons, both
approximatly
>10-15 miles in diameter. One was being dragged to Earth by gravity. When it
>hit, the dust blocked the sunlight and bang! chain reaction!  The dust was
>Eventually pulled into orbit and impacted into the remaining moon, along
with
>Earth parts from th crater floating into the moon, creating our moon.  I
>haven't filled in all itty bitty details, but i guess you know what i mean?
>Huh?
>

To throw a mass the size of our moon into orbit, you'd need an impact MUCH
larger than that generated by a 10-15mi. diameter object -- esp. one going
at relatively low speeds from a decaying Earth orbit.  To throw a Lunar mass
into orbit, you'd need to collide the Earth with a large body traveling at
high speeds.  A protoplanet with a mass roughly equal to Mars and a highly
inclined orbit would seem to be in the ballpark.

Of course, such a collision would completely shatter, melt, and liquify the
Earth.  I think we can be fairly certain that hasn't happened during the
fossil record.


Mark Sumner
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