Astronomers discovered a mysterious area on the moon by accident
They determined that the radiating spot most likely contained granite
A large mass of granite has been discovered beneath a crater on the moon that is slowly releasing heat. This is not science fiction, but the remains of ancient volcanism. There have been lava fields and eruptions on the moon before, but astronomers had never actually found anything like it outside of Earth until they looked at what lies beneath Compton and Belkovich craters on the far side of the moon.
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This is a discovery that could confirm the big impact theory
Granite is not very common outside of Earth, so its discovery on the Moon is very surprising. On our planet, it is formed by the solidification of magma. Liquid magma rises from the depths of the Earth to the surface in various ways and cools along the way. The presence of water and plate tectonics significantly contribute to the formation of granite.
“Using a combination of data from Chinese and American lunar orbiters, a team of scientists discovered a mysterious heat-emitting mass beneath the surface, thereby identifying a volcanic process that had not been observed on the Moon before,” writes the Nature server, where the study was published.
“Using the apparatus for detecting microwave waves – longer than infrared – sent to the moon by the Chinese orbital probes Chang-e 1 and 2, we managed to map the temperature below the surface. We discovered that there is a red glowing spot between the Compton and Belkovich craters. It absolutely glows at microwave wavelengths,” said scientist Matt Siegler of the Planetary Science Institute.
“That means it’s hot, not necessarily at the surface as would be seen in the infrared spectrum, but below the surface. The only way to explain this is additional heat coming from somewhere deep in the lunar crust beneath the object. So the Compton-Belkovich site harbors a large heat source beneath it.”
Matter on the Moon radiates heat and originates from Earth
The data show a twenty-kilometer-wide silicon-rich feature that scientists believe is the caldera of this ancient volcanic region. The temperature there is 10 degrees Celsius higher than the surrounding area, but this is not from magma below the surface – the volcano was last active 3.5 billion years ago – but from radioactive elements that are trapped in the rocks.
“We interpret this heat flow as the result of the action of a radiogenic-rich granite body beneath the caldera,” says Siegler. “To tell the truth, we were a little confused when we discovered it: Fortunately, my wife is a geochemist, so with her help we were able to piece together the likely geological cause of this thermal anomaly.”
The granite on the moon probably comes from our planet. It may have been deposited into the structure of our natural satellite during its formation after Earth collided with the protoplanet Theia, a hypothetical Mars-sized planet that would have crashed into Earth about 4.5 billion years ago. Not only did this impact form two massive structures, but it also apparently created massive clouds of gas, magma, chemicals and solid material that eventually formed the Moon.
Preview photo source: NASA, source: Nature, Live Science, IFLScience, Eurekalert
2023-10-27 07:32:57
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