Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains the Formation of the Moon

Do the Earth and the Moon have a rocky relationship? On this explainer, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice explore the Moon’s history with the Earth and what we have in store with our orbiting partner. What did the formation of the Moon look like?

We break down how the Moon formed in our early solar system. Was the Moon always as far away from the Earth? Take a journey to the early days of the Earth’s and the Moon’s formation. What did the Moon rise look like? What were early Earth's tides like? We get into the Earth and the Moon’s rocky past and uncertain future. Is the Earth slowing? Was the Moon always tidally locked to the Earth? What does our future with the Moon look like? All that and more on another StarTalk explainer!

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About StarTalk:
Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!

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0:00 - Introduction
0:48 - Venus in the Sky
2:42 - Origins of the Moon
5:00 - The Moon’s Distance
5:30 - Tidal Forces
12:26 - Neil’s Perfect Sentence
12:57 - Closing Notes

[stitch]

I understand Chuck isn't always available for each show but he has the best chemistry and jokes with Neil. Love these two together, knowledge plus comedy!

[caiomoussalem]

Chuck is a freaking genius in this one! I literally laughed out loud. 😂😂😂

[sandrataylor]

Chuck, whenever I'm feeling down and out, all I have to do is tune into StarTalk and listen to you. You make me feel better. Keeps up with those hilarious jokes! I also get an education listening to Neil. Thanks you guys!

[lawrenceShellawk]

Neil: Emotionally sensitive tidal forces...

Chuck: It's about to go down :)

[TheRabbitRonin]

That was good acting on Chuck when he was talking about the distance between the Earth and the Moon. His eyes were watery.

[YoukaiSlayer]

“As the world turns” Gotta enjoy the puns & references when it comes to science 🧬

[zachbrooks]

The Moon and Earth have a real rocky relationship!

[Ralesk]

I've never seen Neil and Chuck fall apart this much :D It's great!

[MattIsntYoung]

Thank god, Chuck is back. Gonna be a good day.

[Soapy-chan_old]

We need "Moon: A Love Story" by Chuck Nice.

Please.

[Arkkis]

This was one of the greatest explainer videos! Absolutely great

[KevlarIlluminati]

This one was freaking hilarious, I'm crying.

[freya]

I was LIVING for the tea between earth and moon. I need the next chapter 🤣🤣🤣

[marianoquiroga]

Chuck was absolutely inspired for this episode 😅 love their interaction

[MegaSpacemanSpliff]

I laughed so hard during this episode!! :-D Thank you guys so much for having fun together and enjoying yourselves while teaching us about all this cool stuff!! <3

[muhammadbashirmusa]

Having fun with science. Great, if only my maths teacher was this fun, I would been a scientist

[tylerjackson]

I’m so glad I found this channel I’m only 17 and Neil and Chuck has once again sparked my curiosity and ambition to learn about space! Thank you chuck for making Physics hilarious 😂😂

[greenmanoffgridcaravan]

Your show is so amazing that I decided to extend my battery bank to be able to binge watch the show…again and again! The sun is doing it’s magic, my solar panels are charging my batteries and I am using this energy to watch you guys. That’s what I call cosmic energy well used! Right? Keep on rocking! Maybe you could do an episode about solar energy and how it works?

[jett]

You are both incredibly inspirational, thank you for continuously sharing fascinating scientific ideas

[The_Horse-leafs_Cabbage]

The naming of the colliding body is one of my favorites. It's truly poetic.
Theia is named after the Greek Titaness (a goddess) of luster and sight, wife of Hyperion (Titan god of Heavenly Light).
She was the mother of Dawn (Eos), the Sun (Helios), and the Moon (Selene).