An article published in the journal “Nature Communications” describes the discovery of a new type of rock on the Moon, precisely in Mare Imbrium. It was possible thanks to the data collected by the Chinese Yutu rover during its Chang’e 3 mission. In a crater called Zi Wei, Yutu found a type of basalt with a composition different from those collected in past decades during the American and Soviet Moon missions.
The Chang’e 3 mission began just over two years ago but was threatened to get seriously crippled after a short time. Because of electronic problems, the Yutu, which means jade rabbit, rover seemed dead, instead not only kept on working but managed to carry out its scientific mission. In these two years the Chinese haven’t provided much information on their mission’s activities but now at least allowed the publication of this study.
The article describing this study was produced mainly by Chinese scientists led by Ling Zongcheng of Shandong University, Weihai, but Bradley Jolliff of the Washington University in Saint Louis also collaborated. Using data collected by the Yutu rover examining regolith samples on the surface of the Moon, they examined basalt different from the known types.
The differences compared to the rocks analyzed by the Americans and Soviets over the decades are in its composition. There are still known minerals such as olivine, augite, pigeonite and ilmenite but the basalt analyzed in the Zi Wei crater contains a very high amount of iron. The rocks previously analyzed contained either a substantial quantity of titanium or contained very little of it, instead the basalt found by Yutu contains an intermediate amount.
Bradley Jolliff pointed out that the variable distribution of titanium suggests a lack of homogeneity within the Moon. It’s possible that during its formation, when its surface was covered with magma, it suffered major asteroid impacts that interrupted the mantle formation.
Some of the basalts studied over the decades formed between 3 and 4 billion years ago and analyzing them we can better understand the Moon’s history. Despite its relative proximity and the space probes that have been studying it from its orbit, certain geological research require a direct soil sampling and analysis.
Putting together all the data, we’re slowly understanding the various stages of the formation and evolution of the Moon. Especially the first stage is closely related to the formation of the Earth as the Moon was probably born from the collision of a planetoid with the primordial Earth.
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