The new research, led by University of Arizona planetary scientist Renu Malhotra, offers a mechanism by which moon rocks could be ejected from the lunar surface and become near-Earth asteroids, or space rocks. The research also suggests that in addition to Kamo'oalewa, more lunar fragments may...
In the shallow layers of the Earth, rocks are porous. These shallow layers are of major importance in the Earth since they contain fluids. This is why velocities are higher and Q values lower in the Earth's shallow layers than in the Moon's shallow layers. Cracks have a determining ...
andargon. The argon is mostly radiogenic—i.e., it is released from lunar rocks by the decay of radioactivepotassium. Lunar night temperatures are low enough for the argon to condense but not the neon, hydrogen, or helium, which originate in the solar wind and remain in the atmosphere as...
(250 miles) at most. At one time, shortly after the Moon’s formation, the core had an electromagnetic dynamo like that ofEarth(seegeomagnetic field), which accounts for theremanent magnetismobserved in some lunar rocks, but it appears that such internal activity has long ceased on the Moon...
Moon rocks can be very old, even older than most rocks on Earth. By studying them, scientists can learn about the Moon’s history, how it was formed, and what kind of processes have shaped its surface over billions of years. They can also help us understand more about the solar system...
Rubidium is one of a family of elements that consistently shows up with different proportions of isotopes in the moon compared to the Earth. When Nie examined the moon rocks, she found they did in fact contain fewer of rubidium's light isotopes and more heavy ones than Earth rocks do. ...
The lunar surface is ancient and well-preserved, recording Solar System history and planetary evolution processes. Ancient basin-scale impacts excavated lunar mantle rocks, which are expected to remain present on the surface. Sampling these rocks would p
It's the only world besides Earth that man has set foot on. But we still don't know exactly how it got there. Now, rocks brought back by the Apollo astronauts in the late '60s and early '70s are providing new clues about how Earth got its moon. Many scientists have long theorized ...
A new analysis of lunar rocks now supports the idea that the moon was born in a gigantic collision between the nascent Earth and a mysterious planet-size rock, scientists say.
After it reaches the moon, it will make a soft landing on the far side. Within 48 hours after landing, a robotic arm will be extended to scoop rocks and soil from the lunar surface, and a drill will bore into the ground. Scientific detection work will be carried out simultaneously. ...