PressSplit
Soil analyses from an Indian lunar probe provide insights into different theories about the moon, including one about its past and formation.
Munich – Countless people have dreamed of flying to the moon at least once in their lives. So far, only twelve have actually managed it. For a long time, only three countries managed to land on the moon: the USA, China and the former Soviet Union. Until India joined in August 2023 and collected data from soil samples from the south pole of the moon, the analyses of which now support a theory about the formation and evolution of the moon. Namely, explains the Max Planck Societythat the moon was covered by a “magma ocean” shortly after its formation.
Samples from the moon’s south pole provide insights into the “magma ocean” theory
According to the Indian weekly magazine India Today The exploration team from the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad placed the Pragyan rover on the surface of the moon. Using an Alpha Particular X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS), the rover collected data, as the journal Nature reported data on temperature and seismological measurements for ten days.
The atmosphere on the moon is so thin that sound waves cannot be transmitted. Therefore, there is eternal silence there. © IMAGO/Ringo Chiu / SOPA Images
The rover has collected data from a total of 23 samples from the lunar surface, which according to Nature by PRL X-ray astronomer Santosh Vadawale and his colleagues. The research team determined what materials the surface is made of. Most of the material detected was iron anorthosite, a common mineral on the moon. This finding was to be expected based on other existing data, Lindy Elkins-Tanton, a planetary scientist at Arizona State University in Tempe, told NatureNevertheless, it is good to “know the actual truth”.
Analysis results also support other theories about the history of the moon
The results, together with samples from the equator and mid-latitudes of other lunar landings, indicate that the lunar surface is uniform. This confirms the assumption that it was covered by a magma ocean immediately after the moon’s formation, Vadawale explains according to NatureMahesh Anand, a planetary scientist at the Open University in Milten Keynes, UK, shares the same opinion: “It supports the hypothesis of a magma ocean on the moon.”
In addition to iron anorthosite, increased amounts of magnesium were also detected in the samples, writes the British news service BBCThis means that mafic material, which contains a high amount of magnesium and iron, was found mixed with the surface material. This could be the result of a large impact that brought the deep-lying material to the surface.
The “magma ocean” hypothesis at a glance:
According to one theory, the moon was formed after a major impact on the earth. After that, large amounts of rock dissolved from the earth came together. Scientists assume that the moon was covered by a magma ocean shortly after its formation. Dense rock rich in metals such as magnesium is said to have sunk into the interior of the moon. Lighter rock, including anorthosite, is said to have floated to the surface. (gel)
Sources: Nature, BBC and Max Planck Society
Soil samples from the moon confirm several theories about the history
The soil samples also provide information on other theories about the history of the moon, which was the first supermoon of 2024 and a blue full moon in August. According to the team of scientists, BBC Evidence has been found of a huge meteorite impact that is thought to have caused the South Pole-Aitken Basin, one of the largest craters in the solar system, more than four billion years ago. It is located about 350 kilometers from the region explored by the Pragyan rover.
However, there is a problem with this theory: the soil of the South Pole-Aitken Basin consists largely of the mineral group of pyroxenes, which contradicts the data from the Pragyan rover, explains Anand in a report by BBCTo investigate this further, more samples are needed. This is exactly what the next Chandrayaan mission is supposed to do. This is currently still in the initial development phase and is scheduled to take place in 2025 or 2026. With this mission, India hopes to BBC Among other things, we can also discover frozen water at the south pole of the moon, which always only shows us its “front side”.
The moon is currently playing an important role in another journey into space. It serves as a guide for the “Juice” probe on its journey to Jupiter. (gel)
