Moon strikes earth

[MargeB]

What role did the moon striking earth play in the earth having an iron/liquid core?

[newtron]

I think the theory is that the moon is a piece of the earth that was broken off when an asteroid collided with the earth.  I was not aware of the moon colliding with the earth.

[Dacetine]

As newtron says, the moon was probably formed from a collision between the earth and a very large asteroid. I believe this hit the earth obliquely and so did not score a "bulls eye" but blasted away a large chunk of the Earth's mantle which then became the moon.

The Earth's core is iron because iron is heavy and so sunk to the centre of the planet during the early stages of its formation. It is molton because it retains heat from its formation (and which is added to somewhat from decay of radioactive elements).

[MargeB]

TY both. Saw something about the asteroid collision making the moon, and this contributing to the flux core, never was sure how. And to think that we're only alive today thanks to this molten core!