Fifty years after a sample of rocks and dust was collected from the surface of the Moon by the Apollo 17 mission, researchers have determined the true age of the Moon through a recent examination of those samples.
The moon is the constant celestial companion of our planet. It remains hidden from view except about once a month when it takes its orbit between the Earth and the sun. The moon shining on Earth has always been a source of astonishment and admiration, as it has served to inspire the imagination of the planet’s inhabitants, artists and writers, for thousands of years.
The moon’s gravity is also the force behind ocean tides, and partly why our planet has a 24-hour day.
Be sure to look up into the sky on Saturday evening, when the full moon shines in the night sky. Skywatchers in Europe, Africa, most of Asia and Western Australia will be able to see a partial lunar eclipse, when the Earth’s shadow appears to cut off “part” of the moon.
A partial lunar eclipse can be seen on Saturday evening in the skies of Europe, Africa, most of Asia, and Western Australia
Although the Moon is Earth’s closest neighbor, many secrets are still there, but some mysteries can be solved by visiting the Moon’s surface.
The latest information about the moon
When Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmidt collected rocks and dust from the moon’s surface in 1972, they inadvertently answered one of the biggest questions about the moon: how old is it?
After more than 50 years of collecting a sample of rocks and dust from the surface of the moon, scientists discovered crystal components in lunar dust, which revealed that the moon is 40 million years older than previously thought.
Geologist and astronaut Harrison Schmidt used an adjustable sampling scoop to recover lunar samples during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
Scientists say the Moon was formed when an object – the size of Mars – collided with the Earth, ejecting a large piece of rock into space that entered orbit around our planet. Zircon crystals formed when the Moon cooled 4.46 billion years ago, and now a new analysis has traced them in Apollo 17 samples. .
“It is amazing to have evidence that the rock it holds is the oldest part of the moon we have discovered so far,” said Jenica Greer, a research associate in Earth sciences at the University of Glasgow.
The secret of the beginning of creation
The mystery of the beginning of creation and the universe remains a matter of research and speculation. The beginnings of human life are still largely a mystery to scientists.
When sperm fuses with egg, complex processes give rise to tiny cells that divide and multiply enough to form a human body containing more than 30 trillion cells.
But the early development of human embryos, especially during the first month, poses a big question mark that scientists want to answer.
Advances in stem cells are used to create embryo-like structures, or cells that mimic an embryo, but do not produce an embryo, but these discoveries raise ethical questions about how embryos are used in the name of science and women’s health.
A long time ago
Engineers have discovered 125-million-year-old dinosaur footprints next to a seaside café along the Isle of Wight as they search for ways to reduce coastal erosion and flooding.
Dinosaur footprints discovered on the beach next to a cafe, car park and bus station on the Isle of Wight, England
The three-toed prints were likely made by Mantelisaurus, a herbivorous dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous period.
Nick Gray, Regional Director for Floods and Coastal Hazards at the UK Environment Agency, said: “The dinosaurs where our team works bring together the old and the new. The modern challenges of fighting climate change so far back can only be imagined.”
Separately, the ruins of a 5,000-year-old Neolithic cemetery were discovered in Scotland’s Orkney Islands, and the site contained more than a dozen skeletons of men, women and children, including a couple who appeared to be embracing.
Throughout the universe
Multiple telescopes witnessed a massive cosmic explosion that released a wave of light brighter than our entire Milky Way Galaxy. This explosion, called a kilonova, occurred when two neutron stars collided, triggering an energetic light burst.
The James Webb Space Telescope also discovered the presence of rare chemical elements in the aftermath of the explosion, such as tellurium, which is used to color glass, and iodine, an essential component of much of life on Earth.
The secrets of the planet
A flat surface of an ancient landscape has been discovered beneath the ice sheet in East Antarctica, thanks to ice-penetrating radar.
The area, the size of Belgium, was made up of rivers and likely resembled the hills and valleys of North Wales before being covered by permafrost more than 14 million years ago.
Discovering ancient subglacial landscapes within the Denman Glacier in East Antarctica
“The land beneath the East Antarctica ice sheet is less known than the surface of Mars,” said Stuart Jamieson, a professor in the Department of Geography at Durham University in the United Kingdom.
Understanding these hidden, well-preserved landscapes could help scientists predict the evolution of the ice sheet, and how it might improve as temperatures rise in the climate crisis.
Meanwhile, declassified images, taken by Cold War-era US spy satellites, have revealed hundreds of previously unknown Roman-era forts across Iraq and Syria, but many structures may have already been destroyed.
Latest discoveries
These recent discoveries may surprise you; The Webb Telescope observed an unprecedented high-speed jet stream speeding around Jupiter’s equator.
Volcanic rocks on one of the world’s largest islands also contain evidence that the Earth’s core may have been leaking ancient helium for millions of years.
(Ashley Strickland, CNN)
