How old is Moon? Earth's only natural satellite is 85 million years younger than previously thought

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A research team of planetary geophysicists led by Maxime Maurice of the German Aerospace Center and researchers at the University of Münster has recently devised a new numerical model to accurately calculate the age of the Moon – the Earth’s only natural satellite.

The German scientists have revealed that the Moon was formed a little later than we had known until now. The satellite was formed when a protoplanet as large as Mars was destroyed after it collided with the Earth. As a result of the clash, debris was ejected into space, one of which eventually turned into the Earth’s satellite.

This phenomenon took place 4.425 billion years ago. Earlier, it was believed that the Moon was formed 4.51 billion years ago, which is 85 million years before the date revealed by the new calculations.

The findings of the study published in the scientific journal Science Advances traces the entire process that might have led to the formation of the Moon as we see it today.

Explaining the findings, Maxime Maurice said: “The results of our latest modelling suggest that the young Earth was hit by a protoplanet some 140 million years after the birth of the Solar System 4.567 billion years ago. According to our calculations, this happened 4.425 billion years ago – with an uncertainty of 25 million years – and the Moon was born.”