A hit-and-run giant impact scenario

The formation of the Moon from the debris of a slow and grazing giant impact of a Mars-sized impactor on the proto-Earth (Cameron and Ward [1976]. Lunar Planet. Sci. Conf.; Canup and Asphaug [2001]. Nature 412, 708) is widely accepted today. We present an alternative scenario with a hit-and-run collision (Asphaug [2010]. Chem. Erde 70, 199) with a fractionally increased impact velocity and a steeper impact angle. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.