Chang’E-5 reveals the Moon's secrets to a longer life

Ross N Mitchell

doi:10.1016/j.xinn.2021.100177

Abstract

The Moon is not only important because it enchants us in the night sky. The Earth-Moon system is critical for Earth's surface environment and even life, with lunar gravity controlling Earth's tides and rate of rotation. The origin of the Moon, from either a giant impact or a shrinking hot debris disk, remains debated and carries implications for either early Earth or even Earth's origin, respectively. The Apollo and Luna missions provided abundant samples informing the earliest lunar history, namely the evolution of the “lunar magma ocean,” where less dense plagioclase crystallized and floated up to the surface, lending most of the lunar surface its white appearance from this anorthositic crust, but the dark patches on the Moon—its “mare” basalts, named for the large “sea” of volcanic plains—record the rest of lunar history.

Highlights

The Moon is important because it enchants us in the night sky
The youngest rocks from the Apollo and Luna missions and lunar meteorites are only dated at 2.8–2.9 billion years ago (Ga) (Figure 1A)
Based on crater counting chronology, the selected landing site targeted potentially some of the youngest rocks on the Moon (Figure 1B)

Summary

Introduction

The Moon is important because it enchants us in the night sky. The Earth-Moon system is critical for Earth’s surface environment and even life, with lunar gravity controlling Earth’s tides and rate of rotation. The youngest rocks from the Apollo and Luna missions and lunar meteorites are only dated at 2.8–2.9 billion years ago (Ga) (Figure 1A). Based on crater counting chronology (see below), the selected landing site targeted potentially some of the youngest rocks on the Moon (Figure 1B).

Results

Conclusion