Lunar far side samples bolster theory that the moon was once covered in magma
A team of geologists at the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, the Institute of Space Sciences and the Shandong Institute of Geological Sciences, all in China, has found evidence in soil samples collected from the far ...
In 2024, the China National Space Administration launched a spacecraft that carried a lander to the surface of the far side of the moon. The mission was the first to collect samples from the far side of the moon and return them to the Earth. For this new study, the research team obtained 2 grams of the soil for testing.
The researchers used multiple methods to determine its composition and then compared the results to those of analyses of soil samples from the near side of the moon.
The researchers used multiple methods to determine its composition and then compared the results to those of analyses of soil samples from the near side of the moon.
The researchers found that the basalt in the sample was similar to basalt found in samples collected from the near side of the moon—the ratios of isotopes were similar. They also found similarities in age. These findings bolster theories that during the moon's early years, it was covered by an ocean of magma.
The magma ocean model suggests the moon experienced a massive melting event during its infancy, which led to the creation of a magma ocean. Then, as the magma cooled and crystallized, the densest material sank to form the mantle, while the least dense material floated to the top, leaving it on the surface when the ocean solidified.
The magma ocean model suggests the moon experienced a massive melting event during its infancy, which led to the creation of a magma ocean. Then, as the magma cooled and crystallized, the densest material sank to form the mantle, while the least dense material floated to the top, leaving it on the surface when the ocean solidified.
Image captured by the panoramic camera of the Chang’e 6 lander. Credit: CNSA Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center
Chang'e-6 Landing site. Credit: Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, CAGS
Chang'e-6 basaltic fragment. Credit: Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, CAGS
Lunar soil from Chang'e-6 landing site. Credit: Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, CAGS
Image captured by the landing camera of the Chang’e 6 lander-2. Credit: CNSA Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center