The Smashing Role of Giant Impacts in Planet Formation

A giant impact is the collision of 2 massive celestial bodies. It is believed to have occurred numerous times during the formation of our solar system and to have formed Earth, Mars and other planets. Detailed simulations suggest that 5 giant impacts were responsible for Earth's current form. They also reveal that this number, and the angle of each collision, determined Earth's environment. In today's program we'll focus on the birth of our solar system 4.5 billion years ago.