A rock from the moon’s early days — Science Information, March 30, 1974
Taking its final shot on the prize, the Apollo program got here by. A significant objective of the scientists analyzing samples introduced again from the lunar floor was to discover a rock nearly as outdated because the moon itself, a relic greater than 4.5 billion years outdated.… After 5 visits to the moon, the last-ditch effort, Apollo 17, lastly paid off.
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Apollo-era lunar rocks are nonetheless revealing secrets and techniques of the moon’s youth. As an illustration, the moon’s magnetic area — if it existed — lasted for the satellite tv for pc’s first 500 million years or so, a current evaluation instructed (SN: 8/28/21, p. 7). One other pattern of moon rocks, collected in 2020 by China’s Chang’e-5 mission, is offering new tidbits from later time intervals. These rocks recommend the moon was volcanically energetic for longer than beforehand thought, with lava flowing as lately as 2 billion years in the past (SN: 11/6/21, p. 6). China’s Chang’e-6 mission, slated to launch in Might, would possibly ship the primary rocks from the moon’s farside. That materials might clarify why the close to and much sides seem like geologically distinct.
