Overview

• Scientists now estimate the moon formed between 4.43 and 4.53 billion years ago, potentially 100 million years earlier than prior calculations.
• The study, published in Nature, attributes the discrepancy to a remelting event caused by tidal heating from Earth's gravitational pull 4.35 billion years ago.
• This heating event likely melted the moon's surface, resetting the apparent age of its rocks and erasing evidence of earlier impact basins.
• The findings suggest the early moon may have resembled Jupiter's volcanic moon Io, with widespread volcanic activity due to intense tidal forces.
• Researchers emphasize the need for further data from upcoming lunar missions to refine models and deepen understanding of the moon's role in solar system history.