What type of collision best describes the interaction between Theia and the proto-Earth?
Answer
Glancing blow
The geometry of the impact between Theia and the proto-Earth was critical to the subsequent formation of the Moon. The collision is theorized to have been a glancing blow, meaning it struck at an angle rather than hitting dead center. This specific trajectory was necessary because a direct, head-on impact likely would have resulted in the complete merger of the two large bodies, creating a larger, homogenized planet without successfully ejecting the vast quantities of vaporized rock and debris required to achieve orbit and accrete into a satellite.
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