Rare meteorite fragment discovered in lunar soil sample

Scientists studying lunar samples brought back by the Chang'e-6 probe have identified rare traces of meteorites that could change current understanding of matter exchange in the Solar System.

According to a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a team of authors from the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry (GIG), Chinese Academy of Sciences, discovered in lunar soil samples fragments originating from CI-type meteorites - meteorites rich in water and organic matter, often formed in the outer regions of the Solar System.

Using advanced mineralogy and oxygen isotope analysis techniques, the team confirmed that these meteorite fragments were preserved almost intact on the Moon – which has no atmosphere and plate tectonics, acting as a “natural archive” of ancient collisions.

The discovery suggests that the Earth-Moon system may have suffered more impacts from carbonized meteorites than previously estimated, and demonstrates that material from the outer reaches of the Solar System can migrate into the inner region.

According to researcher Lam Mang of GIG, this result also helps explain the origin of water on the lunar surface and opens up new research directions on the distribution and evolution of lunar water resources. The study also establishes for the first time a systematic method for identifying meteorite material in extraterrestrial samples.

The Chang'e-6 spacecraft set a historic milestone in 2024, when it brought back 1,935.3 grams of soil samples from the far side of the Moon, collected in the South Pole-Aitken Basin (SPA) - the largest, deepest and oldest area on the Moon's surface./.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/phat-hien-manh-thien-thach-hiem-trong-mau-dat-mat-trang-post1071649.vnp