Scientists have made a new study on the rocks collected by NASA astronauts during the Apollo 1972 mission to the moon. They found that mineralogical studies showed that rock samples were formed at incredibly high temperatures (over 2,300 degrees Celsius) and could only be melted under the impact of planets.
In rocks, researchers found ancient cubic silica, which is often used as a substitute for diamonds in jewelry. However, this rural state was only formed in rocks heated above 2300℃. Although it was later restored to a more stable stage, the crystal retained the evidence of high-temperature structure.
When observing the crystal structure, the researchers also measured the age of the particles, and the results showed that the age of this rock was as high as 4.3 billion years. The conclusion is that the high temperature cubic rock mass stage must have been formed before this time, which shows that meteorite impact is very important for the formation of early moon rocks.
Fifty years ago, when the first samples were brought back to Earth from the lunar surface, lunar scientists raised the question of how rocks in the lunar crust were formed. Even today, a key question remains unanswered: how did the outer and inner layers of the moon mix after the moon was formed? This new study shows that the huge impact more than 4 billion years ago may have promoted this mixing and produced the complex rock structure seen on the surface of the moon today.
"The rocks on the earth will be rebuilt continuously, but the moon shows no trace of plate tectonics or volcanic activity, so it can preserve older rocks," explained Dr. Lee White, a postdoctoral researcher in Longhach. "By studying the moon, we can better understand the earliest history of our planet. If a huge celestial body hits the moon and produces rocks, the same process may happen on earth. "
"When I first saw this rock, I was surprised at how different its minerals were from other samples of Apollo 17," said Dr Anna Selnock, a postdoctoral researcher at Hatch. "Although it is less than a millimeter, what attracts our attention is that its lead and zinc particles are the largest Apollo samples I have ever seen. This small particle still holds evidence of the formation of an impact basin hundreds of kilometers in diameter. This is significant because we have not seen any similar evidence on earth. "
The co-author of this study, Dr. James Darling of Portsmouth University, said that this discovery completely changed scientists' understanding of the samples collected during the Apollo mission and actually changed the geology of the moon. "These unimaginable violent meteorite impacts helped build the lunar crust without destroying it," he said.