The Search for the Solar System's Lost Planet

[thefinalfrontier]

The solar system might once have had another planet named Theia, which may have helped create our own planet's moon.

Now two spacecrafts are heading out to search for leftovers from this rumored sibling, which would have been destroyed when the solar system was still young.

"It's a hypothetical world.We've never actually seen it, but some researchers believe it existed 4.5 billion years ago — and that it collided with Earth to form the moon," said Mike Kaiser, a NASA scientist at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.

Theia is thought to have been about Mars-sized.

Read more...

[Legatus Legionis]

I have know that theory for quite some time now, but this is the first time I've heard that they've sent probes to search for it.

[Ikki]

Quick, run before the Nibiruists get here. =P

Interesting theory, though -- the Earth seems to have had a fascinating history, right from its birth.

-Peter

[schizoidwoman]

That's very interesting... I wonder if anything will come of it?

[Juanita Rose Violini]

It amazes me that such a collision could take place and good old Earth wouldn't be bumped into, well, outer space! Take that you evil twin sister!

[+DieChecker]

Interesting. So they are not looking for a planet, they are looking for debris, and not expecting much of that.

[Admiral Danger]

are they more likely to find debris of it in the astroid belt between mars and jupiter?

[TeraLink]

How did NASA know it was called Theia?

TeraLink Was Here!

[danielost]

are they more likely to find debris of it in the astroid belt between mars and jupiter?

no the belt is a failed planet because of jupiter.

[Legatus Legionis]

How did NASA know it was called Theia?

TeraLink Was Here!

Our planet is called Gaia, maybe they named her Theia cause of that.. IDK

[lookingfortruth]

Many people think that another planet comonly known as Nibiru or planet x exists. its very interesting if you decide to research it.

[Cradle of Fish]

Many people think that another planet comonly known as Nibiru or planet x exists. its very interesting if you decide to research it.

That's unrelated, Theia was a hypothetical proto-planet that followed the Earth's orbit and collided with it, with the remnants forming the moon.

[danielost]

That's unrelated, Theia was a hypothetical proto-planet that followed the Earth's orbit and collided with it, with the remnants forming the moon.

exactly theia isn't missing we see it almost every night

[:PsYKoTiC:BeHAvIoR:]

That's unrelated, Theia was a hypothetical proto-planet that followed the Earth's orbit and collided with it, with the remnants forming the moon.

Never heard of that one personally. Well, if indeed there was a collision, have they found evidence on Earth itself to believe this is the case? I'd love to read about it.

[Admiral Danger]

no the belt is a failed planet because of jupiter.

jupiter, that son of a b**ch...

[danielost]

Never heard of that one personally. Well, if indeed there was a collision, have they found evidence on Earth itself to believe this is the case? I'd love to read about it.

No when they collided both planets were destroyed. Earth's gravity was able to pull it back into one piece. Most of the rest became the moon. Thats the theory anyways. some of the pieces are in the trojan positions of the moon. I will let mid or one of the others explain that. They can probable do a better job than i could

[ShadowSot]

My understanding is this occured way back when Earth was still forming, at the time it was still a mostly molten ball, when the hypothetical planet Theia collided with Earth.

Actually, Earth and the Moon are the byproduct of the two planets colliding.

How did NASA know it was called Theia?

TeraLink Was Here!

Uh.

We uh...

Named it.

Like... recently.

Also, the Earth does have other satellites:

http://www.universetoday.com/guide-to-spac...oes-earth-have/

Not that any of them are probably from the collision, seeing as how their orbit is relatively weak, and formed relatively recently.

[Admiral Danger]

what if there was a ring of rocks orbiting earth, but its too small to see... so we dont know about it...

Edited April 15, 2009 by dr alien

[ShadowSot]

what if there was a ring of rocks orbiting earth, but its too small to see... so we dont know about it...

Eh, considering the amount of probes we have in orbit around Earth, and the number of probes we've sent out of orbit, we'd have hit it by now, even if it wasn't visible.