NASA mission samples allowed to recognize a crucial event in the history of the Moon
Kyiv • UNN
Analysis of lunar samples has revealed that the largest crater on the Moon formed 4.338 billion years ago. This discovery sheds light on the history of the Moon and the early cosmic environment around the Earth.
Soil samples brought back to Earth by the Apollo missions continue to make new discoveries. Recently, researchers have calculated when and why the Moon was once covered with magma. Writes UNN with reference to New Scientist.
Details
Through chemical analysis of zircon crystals found in lunar samples, the researchers found that about 4.338 billion years ago, a huge rock crashed into the moon's surface - thus creating the largest crater on the moon.
A study of tiny zircon crystals found in lunar samples suggests that many of them solidified from magma billions of years ago. New and more precise age measurements have been made on 10 zircon crystals delivered to Earth as part of NASA's Apollo program.
In order to do this dating, we need to dissolve these zircons... The lunar material is very valuable, and there are very few laboratories in the world that can be trusted to do this, so nobody has really dared to do it - when I did my first experiment, I was terrified
It turns out that all the crystals formed at the same time, 4.338 billion years ago.
They were formed by a single huge impact. Unless the crater from that impact has since been hidden by shifting sands and other debris, the same impact that created these crystals probably formed the South Pole-Eitken basin, the largest crater on the moon, says Barboni.
We can say that the most important event in the history of the Moon has been revealed. In addition, researchers see it as an account of the space situation on Earth at that time.
The Moon is a very small target compared to the Earth, so the probability that the Earth collided with something very large at that time was very high.... This big rock could have left behind some cosmic goodies, like water, which could have helped the origin of life
Recall
NASA abandons the $450 million dollar VIPER lunar exploration project due to cost increases and delays, but plans to use VIPER technology in other lunar missions.
