Image source, Getty Images
- author, Drafting
- Author’s title, BBC World News
There was a time when part of the Moon had an “ocean,” but it was very different from what we know on Earth.
Scientists have found evidence that the south pole of our natural satellite was once covered by sea of molten rock.
This discovery supports the theory that magma formed the moon’s surface about 4.5 billion years ago.
The historical mission found the remains of the ocean. Chandrayaan-3Launched by India and landed on the Moon’s South Pole a year ago.
Since then, the expedition has explored this isolated and mysterious area where no ship has ever landed before.
Evidence found
Scientists believe that when the moon formed, it began to cool and form a lighter metal. Iron anorthosite I floated to the surface.
This iron anorthosite — or molten rock — ended up forming the moon’s surface, according to new findings from iron anorthosite at the moon’s south pole.
“The theory of the early evolution of the Moon has become much stronger in light of our observations,” said Dr. Santosh Vadavalli, a researcher at the Indian Physical Research Laboratory and co-author of the study published Wednesday in the journal. nature.
Image source, Environmental Protection Agency
Prior to the Indian mission, the main indicators of Magma oceans have been found in mid-latitudes. The moon, thanks to the American Apollo program explorations.
Professor Vandawale and his team were supervising the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
“It was a really exciting time,” said Vadavalli. “Sitting in the control room and moving the vehicle across the lunar surface was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
When the Indian lander contacted VikramAfter its soft landing at the South Pole last August, a robot named Pragyan emerged from the ship.
Pragyan roamed the Moon’s surface for 10 days, while Professor Vadavalli and his colleagues worked tirelessly to guide him by collecting data at 70 degrees south latitude.
Main task
The robot is designed to withstand temperature fluctuations ranging from minus 70 to minus 10 degrees Celsius, and can make its own decisions about how to navigate the uneven, dusty lunar surface.
He made 23 measurements with an instrument called alpha particle x-ray spectrometerThis instrument excites atoms and analyzes the energy produced to identify minerals in lunar soil.
The team of scientists also found evidence of this. Huge meteorite fall In the region since 4 billion years ago.
The collision is believed to have created the South Pole-Aitken Basin, one of the largest craters in the solar system, measuring 2,500 kilometres in diameter.
It is located about 350 km from the place where the Praygam robot discovered it.
Image source, Getty Images
But scientists have discovered magnesium, which It could come from the depths of the moon.was thrown by the impact and pushed over the surface.
“This could have been caused by a large asteroid impact, which threw material out of this large basin. In the process, it also excavated a deeper part of the moon,” said Professor Anil Bhardwaj, director of the Indian Physical Research Laboratory.
These results are just some of the scientific data collected during the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which Hoping to discover frozen water In the South Pole.
Such a discovery It will be necessary For space agencies’ dreams of building a human base on the moon.
India plans to launch another mission to the moon in 2025 or 2026, hoping to collect samples from the lunar surface and return them for analysis.
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