Once a leading theory of the origin of the Earth-Moon system, the Capture Theory is simple and intuitively plausible. The numerous instances of moons with retrograde orbits show that capture is fairly common. The lunar orbit’s three moments of inertia are consistent with a past very eccentric orbit, suggestive of capture1. However, the Moon would, it was thought, have to come from a different part of the solar system to account for its very depleted iron compared to the Earth’s iron, which means that it would approach the Earth at a high velocity that would prevent capture. Researchers have searched in vain for a braking mechanism that would slow it down so it could be captured. Still, the accumulated evidence and arguments make the Capture Theory a viable one.
But


In his Worlds in Collision (New York: Macmillan, 1950), Immanuel Velikovsky argued that Venus emerged as a red-hot comet from Jupiter and passed Earth every 52 years, causing the Bronze Age catastrophes, before settling into its current orbit. His claim set off a controversy in which his theory was rejected and stigmatized. But over the years, new findings have changed the picture. Here are eight new reasons to accept a Revised Venus Theory.