Theia (planet)

Theia is a hypothetical planet that is thought to have hit the Earth 4.5 billion years ago. The theory says that Theia, a Mars sized planet, hit the Earth and the debris from the impact formed the Moon. It is also thought that the Earth's water came from Theia.

 Name 
Theia was named after Theia, the Greek goddess of sight.

 Composition 
Theia could have been made of enstatite and chondrite, though this isn't a proven fact. It is believed, however, that Theia was rich in iron.

 Giant Impact Hypothesis 
According to NASA, it is possible that once Theia crashed, it was destroyed. The debris from both the Earth and Theia merged, and formed two bodies. The bigger one was absorbed into Earth by its gravity, and the smaller one was pushed far enough that it wasn't absorbed, but close enough that it stayed in orbit. That smaller body became the Moon.

 References 

Category:Solar System
Category:Dwarf planets