China discovers new moon mineral in lunar samples (2024)

FAQs

China discovers new moon mineral in lunar samples? ›

Chinese scientists have found a new lunar mineral in the form of a crystal lurking inside samples collected from the moon in 2020. Changesite–(Y), named for the mythological Chinese goddess of the moon, Chang'e, is a phosphate mineral and columnar crystal.

Changesite-(Y), which falls in the category of lunar merrillite, has become the first lunar mineral discovered and identified by Chinese scientists, making China the third nation in the world, after the United States and Russia, to have achieved such a feat, officials from the two agencies said at a news conference in ...

China's Chang'e-5 moon samples contain 'perplexing combination' of minerals. Changesite-(Y) is the sixth new lunar mineral to be discovered. Old and new minerals found in lunar samples brought home by China's Chang'e-5 mission are helping scientists better understand the moon's history.

The Chang'e 5 samples originate from regions of the Moon not yet sampled by NASA and are expected to provide valuable new scientific insight on the geological history of the Moon, which could provide new understanding of the Earth-Moon system and potentially inform NASA's future lunar exploration plans.

It formed in a region of the moon that was volcanically active around 1.2 billion years ago. One of the primary ingredients found in this crystal is helium-3, which scientists believe may provide a stable fuel source for nuclear fusion reactors.

The scientists found a single crystal of a new phosphate mineral that they have named Changesite-(Y) while analyzing particles of lunar basalt, or hardened fragments of lava, The Global Times, a state-run newspaper and website, reported.

Hematite, a mineral composed of ferric oxide (Fe₂O₃), has been found on the Moon. This mineral is a product of a reaction between iron, oxygen, and liquid water.

China found a crystal on the Moon made of a mineral that had never been seen before. They also confirmed that the surface of the Moon has a key ingredient for nuclear fusion, which is a possible source of power that uses the same forces that power the Sun and other stars.

The new map shows that the top 40 metres of the Moon's crust is made up of layers of dust, soil and rocks. Within this upper layer, the scientists found a hidden impact crater – since covered, the researchers hypothesise, by debris from the collision.

The overall set of lunar samples collected during the Apollo program can be classified into three major rock types, basalts, breccias, and lunar highland rocks. Apollo 11 mainly collected basalts and breccias.

How did China get moon samples? ›

The Chang'e 5 mission consists of four modules or components: Lander: landed on the lunar surface after separating from the Orbiter, installed with a drill and a scooping device. The Ascender is on the top of the Lander. Ascender: after sampling, the lunar samples were transported to a container within the Ascender.

The Chang'e-5 mission recovered 1.7 kilograms of loose volcanic material called basalt from a vast lava plain, known as Oceanus Procellarum, in the Moon's northern region. The location was selected partly because it might contain younger volcanic material than the regions visited by the Luna and Apollo missions.

China has launched five Chang'e missions. Its fourth was the first to land on the far side of the moon. The most recent mission in 2020 returned with lunar samples. Next year, it plans to combine the two previous missions and become the first country to bring back samples from the far side.

China Plans Three Moon-Mining Missions After Finding a Potential New Source of Energy. The Chinese discovery of a phosphate mineral in columnar crystal has the nation clamoring for more of the Moon. A 2020 mission brought back minerals to China, leading to the discovery of a phosphate mineral now named Changesite-(Y).

A lunar zircon grain under a microscope. The sample of lunar dust used in the study was brought back by Apollo 17 astronauts in the last crewed mission to the moon. This dust contains tiny crystals that formed billions of years ago. These crystals are a telltale sign of when the moon must have formed.

China found a crystal on the Moon made of a mineral that had never been seen before. They also confirmed that the surface of the Moon has a key ingredient for nuclear fusion, which is a possible source of power that uses the same forces that power the Sun and other stars.

China's Yutu-2 rover, on the far side of the moon, spotted a distant cube-shaped object last month. China's space agency dubbed the object "mysterious hut." Others called it "moon cube." The rover got closer and snapped a better photo, revealing the "cube" is a rabbit-shaped rock.

A research team has for the first time discovered anomalous meter-sized rocks on the lunar surface that are covered in dust and presumably exhibit unique properties -- such as magnetic anomalies. These findings help to understand the processes that form and change the lunar crust.