a long slow splat...

[Left]

Apparently I missed this coming out...

http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110803/full/news.2011.456.html

Earth once had two moons, which merged in a slow-motion collision that took several hours to complete, researchers propose in Nature today.

Both satellites would have formed from debris that was ejected when a Mars-size protoplanet smacked into Earth late in its formation period. Whereas traditional theory states that the infant Moon rapidly swept up any rivals or gravitationally ejected them into interstellar space, the new theory suggests that one body survived, parked in a gravitationally stable point in the Earth–Moon system.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Wow, neat!

[Doktor Howl]

I always miss the cool shit.

In this case, by a couple of billion years.

[Cardinal Pizza Deliverance.]

Tell me this is some sort of science-geek joke. Because I am laughing my ass off.

The nearside is also richer in potassium (K), rare-earth elements (REE) and phosphorus (P) — components collectively known as KREEP.

[Cardinal Pizza Deliverance.]

As usual, the comments are hilarious.