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Astronomy Space the Solar System

Heavy Bombardment

  • Period of time in the early solar system
    • First few hundred million years
    • ~4.1 - 3.8 billion years ago
  • Disproportionately large numbers of asteroids were colliding with early terrestrial planet
  • Evidence derives from lunar samples brought back by the Apollo missions
    • Showed most impacts happened in a narrow interval of time
  • Tons of things colliding
  • Mixing of elements
  • Possible formation of the Moon
  • Most of Earth's water probably accumulated during this time
  • Most planets probably captured moons at this time