Yes it would obviously stop the crusts on impact trying to peel each other back which I imagine is what would happen otherwise. The downside is the tilts will be sligtly out so there is still going to be a massive crunch.

We are still talking about system much bigger than the Kuiper belt and pluto/charon and I would want to see calculations because I am not sure it's possible in earths space position.

I still say the moon had to be there at the start based on dating (http://rsta.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/366/1883/4163.full)

Quote:

New W isotope data for lunar metals demonstrate that the Moon formed late in isotopic equilibrium with the bulk silicate Earth (BSE). On this basis, lunar Sr isotope data are used to define the former composition of the Earth and hence the Rb–Sr age of the Moon, which is 4.48±0.02Ga, or 70–110 million years after the start of the Solar System. This age is significantly later than had been deduced from W isotopes based on model assumptions or isotopic effects now known to be cosmogenic. The Sr age is in excellent agreement with earlier estimates based on the time of lunar Pb loss and the age of the early lunar crust (4.46±0.04Ga).


Which is why I threw up the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/(47171)_1999_TC36 system.


Last edited by Orac; 09/06/11 01:40 PM.
I believe in "Evil, Bad, Ungodly fantasy science and maths", so I am undoubtedly wrong to you.