Jakarta –
The moon, one of the celestial bodies closest to Earth, has always been an interesting research object for scientists. Studying the age of the Moon is one of the great challenges in planetology. Recently, researchers managed to reveal how old the Moon really is.
Launching from the Northwestern University website, recent research by scientists from the Field Museum and the University of Glasgow, with the support of the atomic probe tomography facility from Northwestern University, has revealed the answer to this human question for centuries.
The Beginning of the Formation of the Moon
More than four billion years ago, when Earth and the solar system were still in the early stages of formation, a giant object the size of Mars crashed into Earth. As a result, the fragments from this powerful collision between the two formed the Moon. Then, the enormous energy from this collision melted the rocks to form the surface of the Moon.
“When the surface is melted like that, zircon crystals cannot form and survive,” said Philipp Heck of the Field Museum, quoted from Northwestern University.
“So, any crystals on the surface of the Moon must have formed after the Moon’s magma ocean cooled. Otherwise, they would have melted and their chemical signatures would have been erased,” he said.
Calculating the Age of the Moon with Radiometric Dating
In 1972, Apollo 17 astronauts collected a sample of Moon dust containing tiny zircon crystals estimated to be 4.425 billion years old. Meanwhile, the latest research results show that the Moon is actually 4.46 billion years old or 40 million years older than previous estimates.
“These samples were brought to Earth half a century ago, but only now do we have the tools necessary to perform microanalysis at the necessary level, including atomic probe tomography,” said Dieter Isheim of Northwestern University.
The method used to reveal the age of the Moon is atom by atom analysis. Researchers focused their attention on these zircon crystals and counted the number of atoms that had undergone radioactive decay. When atoms decay, they release protons and neutrons, turning into different elements.
For example, uranium can decompose into lead. Scientists have a good understanding of how long it takes for this decay process to take place. By examining the proportion of uranium and lead atoms in the samples, they were able to accurately calculate the age of the Moon.
“Radiometric dating works like an hourglass,” says Philipp Heck.
“In an hourglass, sand flows from one glass ball to another, with the passage of time indicated by the accumulation of sand in the bottom glass ball. Radiometric dating works in the same way as counting the number of parent atoms and the number of daughter atoms that have been transformed “The passage of time can then be calculated because the rate of transformation is known,” he added.
Calculating the Age of the Moon with a Tomography Probe
To determine the maximum age of the Moon, researchers used Northwestern atomic probe tomography instruments.
“In atomic probe tomography, we start by sharpening a piece of lunar sample to a very sharp edge, using a focused ion beam microscope, almost like a very sophisticated pencil sharpener,” Greer said.
“Then, we use a UV laser to vaporize atoms from the surface of the tip. The atoms move through the mass spectrometer, and how fast the atoms move tells us how heavy the atoms are, which in turn tells us what the atoms are made of.” the atom,” he added.
The results of this research conclude that the oldest crystals on the Moon are around 4.46 billion years old. Heck mun believes that it is very important to know when the Moon formed in the solar system.
“The moon is an important partner in our planetary system. It stabilizes the Earth’s rotation axis. That’s why there are 24 hours in a day. That’s why we have ebb and flow,” explains Greer.
“Without the Moon, life on Earth would look different. This is a part of our natural system that we want to understand better, and our research provides a small puzzle piece in the overall picture,” he added.
Watch the video “Take a peek at Luna-25, the Russian space vehicle that will land on the moon”
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2023-10-29 10:00:00
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