An unusual object designated P3R-636 - originally thought by astronomers to be an ordinary asteroid-like object - is reported to have collided with the Dark Side of the Moon in early March 2009.
Such an event would not normally be considered newsworthy for publication in a high class publication such as Alternate Universe, however in a bizarre twist astronomers have been baffled by the fact that although P3R-636 was relatively small in size, being only 100 metres in diameter (prior to impact, of course), seismographs on the Moon's surface showed an impact of enormous proportions implying that the object was of extraordinary density.
The continuous shock wave recorded by the seismographs lasted for several minutes, which is consistent with a massive surface explosion equivalent to a nine hundred billion megaton atomic bomb.
That such an explosion may have occurred is also evidenced by a distinct “wobble” now being detected in the Moon's rotation and orbit.
The extent of this new lunar libration is yet to be determined, however astronomers have made accurate measurements of the Moon’s rotation relative to the Earth and have found that the tilt of the Moon’s axis has been shifted by a significant 4.2°, as a direct result of the impact by P3R-636.
Scientists believe this shift may have the potential to cause tidal effects on Earth to vary by such an extent that oceans may rise above current high-water marks by an extent not yet known.
The shifted axial tilt could also have the potential to cause massive earthquakes and violent volcanic eruptions on Earth as the different gravitational pull of the Moon on the Earth’s tectonic plates causes them to shift out of their current alignment.
Spectroscopic Hubble observations of the plume of dust ejected from the Moon's surface shortly after impact have revealed much about the asteroid's composition, and scientists have concluded that the asteroid is (or should we say was) composed primarily of a rare mineral known as Naquadah, an extremely dense, quartz-like mineral not found anywhere on Earth, or even within our own Solar System – until now.
When propelled at high velocity towards a solid object such as the Moon, a large mass of Naquadah is believed to hold enough potential energy to collide with as much force as an object 100,000,000 times its own mass would yield.
About 2 million years ago, a similar shift in the Moon’s tilt brought the Lunar south pole to the edge of the Shackleton Crater, a 12-mile diameter crater thought to be about 3.6 billion years old.
Strangely, Shackleton Crater is believed to contain the only lunar source of water, in the form of captured ice.
Due to the fact that the floor of Shackleton Crater is almost always in complete darkness as a result of being located at the South Pole, and is therefore never exposed to direct sunlight, it is believed that this reservoir of solidified water may be up to 3 billion years old.