I did all the reading so you won’t have to! The actual origins of the moon is not yet clear, but there are several theories proposing how it came to be and why it is where we see it now. I will make it as simple as I can, if you want to read more feel free to follow the links at the end of this post.
There are four main theories:
The Capture Theory – It formed somewhere far away and on its journey (like asteroids and other heavenly bodies) it got caught into Earth’s gravitational field.
The Fission Theory – This theory suggests that the Moon was once a part of Earth when they were still babies. Being a small body, Earth’s spin was faster than it is now and part of it potentially has separated because of the spin’s force.
The Condensation Theory – It formed at the same time Earth formed right where they are now, like neighbors or twins.
The Giant Impactor Theory – A body as large as the planet Mars collided with Earth, its large debris was then ejected off Earth and was caught in Earth’s gravitational field. Of all the theories, this is the most popular.
