Lunar sample returned by China's 2020 lunar mission contains minerals that provide clues to the moon's history
Published Date: 2/6/2024
Source: phys.org
Earth's moon achieved its Swiss cheese appearance from celestial objects crashing into its surface, forming impact craters. But craters weren't all that was left behind; the intense pressure and temperature of such a collision also impacted the rocks and dust covering the lunar surface, known as regolith, altering its mineral composition and structure. Analyzing the resulting minerals provides modern researchers clues to the moon's past.