Newborn moon may have had many mini-siblings in Earth orbit long ago

[{"selector":"#anim-6a956648-15b3-46e9-b39a-bcc905e9cb2c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-56496c66-0bc2-45e6-bd81-552346395654","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6910f9e0-429b-4d95-8082-5e82f4064556","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Floral Frame Scientists believe that after the moon formed, it may have shared its orbit with smaller moons, or "mini-m oons."

[{"selector":"#anim-8e57efc9-a0ea-409f-a930-8e4be22db57b [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2c16419e-6351-45df-bc3b-b879b6bf7c75","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6df68173-dee9-4aa5-8149-081f9c074c94","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Floral Frame These mini-siblings likely formed from leftover debris during the moon's creation about 4.5 billion years ago.

[{"selector":"#anim-cd8d982d-1ebb-4809-b883-252e0d015581 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-43d60fe6-036b-484e-8ee7-fdae15ebc06b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-13d8297a-ac8f-4d9c-86f1-6e2f0777ad2e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Floral Frame Over time, gravitational forces and collisions could have caused these mini-moons to be lost or pulled into Earth.

[{"selector":"#anim-746fee2f-90d3-4a0e-8667-0fc898e53380 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bb064c51-ee9f-4e6f-b8d4-9e0cf3d4f2d2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0cfee5e8-0178-4903-b420-12f5ecf6d9f2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Floral Frame The mission aimed to deliver payloads to the lunar surface, but the complications prevented a safe l anding.

[{"selector":"#anim-e157ef7a-1eec-4588-a264-8cd0433f773f [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ebf5e253-25ef-4ea3-bc03-e8b0a7e35c7f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-26a4addd-f2c5-4e06-95b3-c2f7631edd20","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Floral Frame The presence of mini-moons would have significantly influenced the early environment and tides on Ear th.

[{"selector":"#anim-b95d64ee-320a-4715-a5b9-161e78628916 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, -0.000001213592238258343%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-86a6c3dd-f760-4d43-a554-aa79c62f60b1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c771e69c-336c-46dc-b82a-5a18a12cc88a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Floral Frame Understanding these mini-siblings helps researchers learn more about planetary formation and celestial mechanics.

[{"selector":"#anim-9cb1b959-aa77-43d2-823b-b51c5e3cee2d [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-977d81c9-18b0-4bf2-89ab-f2159d54c631","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d56f8c92-1d27-4a65-b570-bb8ead052be2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Floral Frame This concept challenges previous ideas about how moons are created and maintained in orbit around planets.

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