Italian astronomer simulates Moon birth

(ANSA) - Rome, April 10 - According to new research, the Moon was likely formed by the impact between Earth and its smaller "twin" planet Theia some four billion years ago, sources said Friday.
    The impact with a planet that was chemically a near-match to Earth is thought to have created a cloud of debris that eventually conglomerated into the Moon as we know it.
    This would explain why Earth and its satellite are near-twins in terms of composition.
    The findings published this month in the journal Nature are the result of the latest computer simulations of the hypothetical event led by Italian astronomer Alessandra Mastrobuono-Battisti with the Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa.