Volcanoes were erupting on the mysterious far side of the moon billions of years ago, US and Chinese researchers have found.
Analysis of samples collected by a Chinese mission found basalt (volcanic rock formed after an eruption) fragments dating back more than 4.2 billion years.
While scientists already knew of volcanic activity on the near side of the moon, which we can see from Earth, the “dark side” is very different in its geology, and remains largely unexplored.
Led by experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, researchers used radiometric dating to determine the age of the volcanic rock.
“This is an incredibly exciting study”, Professor Qiuli Li from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics wrote in a detailed peer review.
Researchers from China and the United States have discovered that billions of years ago, volcanoes were erupting on the moon’s enigmatic far side.
Samples taken by a Chinese mission were analyzed, and fragments of basalt (volcanic rock formed after an eruption) that were more than 4.2 billion years old were discovered.
The results were released on Friday in the journals Science and Nature.
The moon’s near side, which is visible from Earth, has volcanic activity that scientists were already aware of, but the “dark side” has a very different geology and is still mostly unexplored.
After a nearly two-month mission that was full of risks, the Chang’e-6 spacecraft collected the rock and dust samples, which were the first to be recovered from the Moon’s far side.
Researchers, under the direction of specialists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, employed radiometric dating to ascertain the volcanic rock’s age.
Additionally, their analysis showed that an eruption that was “surprisingly young”—something that has never been discovered on the Moon’s near side—took place around 287 billion years ago.
In an extensive peer review, Professor Qiuli Li of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics stated, “This is an extremely exciting study.”.
It will have a huge impact on the lunar and planetary science community as the first geochronology study to be derived from Chang’e-6 samples. “..”.
Despite being commonly referred to as the “dark side,” this area of the moon receives a lot of sunlight; we simply cannot see it.
This is due to the fact that the Moon is tidally locked to Earth, meaning that it always faces us and orbits our planet in roughly 27 days.
1959 saw the Soviet spacecraft Luna 3 take the first picture of the far side. Although grainy, they offered people on Earth a new perspective on the Moon.
An amazing NASA video that shows the Moon from the far side with Earth in the background is one of the many higher quality photos that have since been sent back.
Additionally, a tiny roving vehicle was sent out earlier this year during the Chang’e-6 mission to take a selfie of the lander perched on the rocky far side.
