New research asserts the Moon was created after the Earth collided with its almost twin planet billions of years ago.

Astronomers and scientists have long believed the Moon was formed when the Earth smashed into another planetary body roughly the size of Mars. Scientists are now investigating how much of Earth's primordial twin was left as remnants on the Moon.

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Computer simulations suggest this world that collided into infant Earth was most likely formed near our region in the solar system and with the same materials. After the formation of the Moon from that interplanetary collisions, both bodies were also simultaneously bombarded by similar collisions from relatively small protoplanets.

During those collisions, the planets were coated with material from these objects and Earth accumulated a thicker deposit.

Earth's twin and impactor called Theia collided into the Earth around 4.5 billion years ago. Estimated to be the size of Mars, Theia also possessed a mass equal to one tenth of our planet.

Computer simulations reveal this planetary collision resulted in our Moon having the same composition as the mantle of Earth. This is confirmed by evidence obtained from chemical compositions and observations from the lunar surface that the Moon's material is derived from the same material as our mantle.

Scientists determine the origins of planets and large asteroids in the solar system by the ratios found in their elements. Since the Moon is similar to the Earth's mantle, researchers also believe Theia was also formed in the same region in the solar system near the Earth.

Isotope  ratios also reveal a variety of elements that have the same numbers of protons but different neutron content. These ratios reveal a significant deal of information about bodies in the solar system, especially the details of the early stages of their formation.

Even if the physics of the impact between Earth and Theia can be applied to observational data, isotopic analysis doesn't support this theory.

Researchers examined levels of isotopes in tungsten found on Earth and the Moon and they discovered both were similar to each other. Astronomers believe that the Moon has a different composition from Earth, containing higher concentrations of tungsten-182. 

Richard Walker of the University of Maryland said the Earth and the Moon have very similar isotopic content formed from the same material during the solar system's infant stages. Theia is expected to have been different from Earth since it created the Moon, meaning the Earth and the Moon should have different chemical properties. 

Scientists are now looking into how the Moon formed during an extremely violent phase in the solar system's history.

This study was published in the journal, Nature.

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