Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Scientists suggest that Jupiter played a significant role in the chaotic early years of the solar system, potentially contributing to the formation of Earth's moon.
The so-called "great instability" event, which saw the gas giants shift positions, likely occurred between 60 and 100 million years after the solar system's formation.
Source : NASA
During this tumultuous period, Jupiter's migration may have destabilized the orbit of a protoplanet called Theia, leading to a collision with Earth and the formation of the moon.
Source : NASA
Scientists have puzzled over the compositions of asteroids and comets, which contain material that doesn't align with their expected locations in the solar system's formation disk.
Source : NASA
Researchers focused on a specific type of meteorite, enstatite chondrites, which share similarities with Earth's composition and likely originated from the same region of the early solar system.
These meteorites have been linked to the Athor family of asteroids in the asteroid belt, suggesting they were once part of a larger body that was disrupted by an ancient collision.
Dynamical simulations indicate that Jupiter's migration could have scattered the progenitor of the Athor family into the asteroid belt as early as 60 million years after the solar system's formation.
The timeframe of Jupiter's instability coincides with the collision between Earth and Theia, providing a plausible link to the formation of Earth's moon.
While evidence suggests Jupiter's involvement in moon formation, proving it definitively remains challenging due to the distant timeframe and limited data available.
The findings were published in the journal Science and presented at the European Geological Union General Assembly in Vienna on April 16, shedding light on the complex dynamics of the early solar system.