The historic Chandrayaan-3 mission, which made India the fourth country to land on the moon one year ago Friday, has uncovered new evidence that supports a theory about early lunar history.
Pragyan made 23 measurements as it rolled along a 338-feet (103-meter) region of the lunar surface, located within 164 feet (50 meters) of Chandrayaan-3’s landing site, for about 10 days.
The first lunar samples collected during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969 led researchers to the theory that the moon was once a molten ball of magma.
The magma ocean, likely hundreds to thousands of kilometers deep, persisted for about 100 million years, the space agency says.
Persistent lunar mysteries The mission proves why it is crucial to send spacecraft to different lunar regions to understand the history of the moon, Vadawale said.
“Chandrayaan-3 is the first mission to have a successful landing in the polar regions of the moon and carry out in-situ analysis.
While erosion and the movement of tectonic plates have erased evidence of how Earth formed, the moon remains largely unchanged apart from impact craters, Petro said.
“That hypothesis of a magma ocean drives so much of what we think about the moon, especially early in its history.
New evidence supporting an idea about early lunar history has been found by the historic Chandrayaan-3 mission, which made India the fourth nation to land on the moon one year ago Friday.
Upon landing in the southern high-latitude regions of the moon, close to the lunar south pole, the mission sent out Pragyan, a six-wheeled rover whose name means wisdom in Sanskrit. With the scientific instruments it carried, the rover was able to measure the elements and examine soil particles on the moon.
For roughly ten days, Pragyan rolled along a 338-foot (103-meter) section of the lunar surface, about 164 feet (50 meters) from Chandrayaan-3’s landing site. During this time, it recorded 23 measurements. Thanks to the rover’s data, elements in lunar soil close to the south pole have been measured for the first time.
The rover found a comparatively homogeneous composition composed mostly of ferroan anorthosite, a rock that is similar to samples collected in 1972 during Apollo 16 from the equatorial region of the moon.
In a study that was published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, researchers reported their findings.
Scientists are using lunar samples to help them unravel some of the last remaining mysteries about how the moon has changed over time, including how it formed in the chaotic early solar system.
The authors of the study stated that the existence of comparable rocks in various regions of the moon provides more evidence for the long-held theory that the moon was formerly covered by an ancient ocean of magma.
An old ocean of magma.
Although there are many different theories regarding how the moon formed, scientists generally agree that the moon was created approximately 4.5 billion years ago when an object the size of Mars or a group of objects collided with Earth, sending enough molten debris into space.
Researchers came up with the hypothesis that the moon was once a molten ball of magma after gathering the first lunar samples during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.
The moon was not formed alongside Earth from the same debris, nor was it a celestial body caught in Earth’s gravity, according to theories supported by the 842 pounds (382 kilograms) of lunar rocks and soil that the Apollo missions brought back to Earth in the late 1960s and early 1970s. NASA said that evidence from the rock samples suggested the moon formed roughly 60 million years after the solar system started to form.
According to the space agency, the magma ocean endured for approximately 100 million years and was probably hundreds to thousands of kilometers deep. Crystals formed inside the magma ocean as it cooled.
In contrast, denser, magnesium-rich minerals like olivine sank deep below the surface into the mantle, according to NASA project scientist Noah Petro, who worked on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Artemis III. Rocks and minerals like ferroan anorthosite rose to the top to form the lunar crust and highlands. The latest research did not include Petro.
The lunar mantle is located approximately 838 miles (1,350 kilometers) below the lunar crust, which has an average thickness of roughly 31 miles (50 kilometers).
The history of the moon can be found in every mineral and rock on the moon, according to Petro.
The ferroan anorthosite and other rock types, including minerals like olivine, were mixed together in the lunar soil that the Pragyan rover discovered during its chemical composition study.
About 217 miles (350 kilometers) separated the Chandrayaan-3 landing site, also known as Shiv Shakti Point, from the edge of the South Pole-Aitken Basin, which is thought to be the oldest crater on Earth.
As per lead study author Santosh Vadawale, who is a professor at the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad, India, the research team believes that an asteroid impact created the basin approximately 4.2 billion to 4.3 billion years ago and unearthed minerals like olivine, mixing them into the lunar soil.
In order to shed more light on the moon’s origins and evolution, the researchers are still looking into the presence of these minerals, which most likely originated in the moon’s mantle, he said.
Lunar mysteries that never go away.
According to Vadawale, the mission offers evidence for the need of sending spacecraft to various lunar regions in order to comprehend the moon’s past.
He stated, “Equatorial to mid-latitude regions have been the only locations for all previous successful lunar landings.”. The first mission to successfully land in the moon’s polar regions and conduct in-situ analysis is Chandrayaan-3. The (lunar magma ocean) theory has gained more support as a result of these fresh measurements in hitherto uncharted territory. “.
The Indian lunar exploration program’s next goals, according to Vadawale, are to investigate permanently shadowed areas of the lunar poles and bring back samples for a thorough examination in labs on Earth.
Aside from impact craters, the moon has not changed much since Earth’s formation, according to Petro, despite erosion and tectonic plate movement erasing evidence of the planet’s formation.
He stated, “It is very helpful for testing all the models and hypotheses we have because it anchors that understanding to a specific spot, a specific location on the surface, every time we land on the moon.”. Much of our understanding of the moon, particularly in its early history, is based on the theory of a magma ocean. An additional surface data point is added by the Chandrayaan-3 mission’s rover results. “.
Every mission provides new information on the moon and sheds light on the formation of Mars and other rocky planets as well as Earth. Models of how all planets form and evolve, including planets outside our solar system, are influenced by scientific understanding of how the moon came to be, according to Petro.
Furthermore, the prospect of gathering samples from various locations, such as the poles and the moon’s far side, makes the planned lunar surface missions seem like a never-ending gift.
“Anytime we receive fresh data, it adds even more embellishment to that gift,” Petro stated. “.
