
A new model, “The Big Splat”, explains the strange asymmetry of the moon - dnetesn
http://nautil.us/issue/13/symmetry/when-the-earth-had-two-moons
======
Zash
> Comets may preserve ancient layered splat structures; the European Space
> Agency’s Rosetta mission, now on its way to Comet Churymov-Gerasimenko, will
> be able to take a look.

[http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Rosetta/How_...](http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Rosetta/How_Rosetta_s_comet_got_its_shape)

------
EwanG
Publish date May 2014 - still, glad to see it solves most (but not all) the
issues with the known differences between the near and far sides. Another
argument for a lunar base so we can safely get some samples to do more hands-
on comparisons.

------
grogers
FWIW the best theory we have now is that since the earth was very hot for a
while after the moon formed, the radiating heat kept the near side of the moon
molten for longer. That means thinner crust on the near side which makes it
more likely for early meteor impacts the punch through the crust and cause
lava flows.

This seems much more likely than a secondary moon impact that happens to hit
the far side. Crucially, this should be testable - which is great!

------
titzer
I'm just gonna burn karma and rant randomly at this kind of narrative style.

<quote>Asphaug was not only annoyed; he was inspired. </quote>

For Science articles, what value does all this narration add? Why do we have
to sift through 30 years of background biography material before getting to
the new theory and subject matter? Is the state of mind of the researchers
important? Do we need to humanize and narrate the proposal of a new model in
this way?

~~~
oldmanjay
this isn't really a science article. it's sciencish. think of it more like
"scientists hate this one weird trick that might explain the moon" maybe?

~~~
semi-extrinsic
On science reporting today, C&H said it best IMO: "You don't love science.
You're looking at its butt when it walks by."

[http://explosm.net/comics/3557/](http://explosm.net/comics/3557/)

~~~
DanBC
See also the excellent rant "You're not a nerd, geeks aren't sexy and you
don't "fucking love" science"
[http://thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=youre_not_a_nerd](http://thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=youre_not_a_nerd)

~~~
danparsonson
Indeed, IFLS would better be called IFL The Natural World - not quite so
catchy though I guess. IFL Nature?

