China’s Chang’e-6 mission made an exciting find on the Moon’s far side last year. After returning lunar samples in June, scientists discovered pieces of a rare type of meteorite called carbonaceous chondrite. These meteorites often contain water and are tough to spot, as they don’t typically survive their journey through our atmosphere.
This discovery marks a first for lunar samples. It suggests that certain asteroids, which are porous and contain hydrated minerals, can reach the Moon’s surface. Typically, these meteorites would break apart upon impact, but the evidence hints that some can make it intact.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences pointed out that less than one percent of Earth’s meteorites fall into this CI chondrite category. Even hitting the Moon could vaporize or melt them, making this finding particularly interesting.
Researchers highlighted the significance of this find in a recent publication. They stated that their methods for identifying such materials could reshape our understanding of meteorite types in the inner solar system.
The Chang’e-6 mission samples came from the South Pole-Aitken Basin, known as one of the largest impact craters. Using advanced tools, scientists analyzed olivine, a mineral commonly found in both meteorites and volcanic rock. The unusual ratios of isotopes in these samples pointed to a collision with a CI chondrite asteroid.
Interestingly, researchers believe this meteorite might have originated from the outer solar system, suggesting that materials from distant regions can travel to the inner solar system. They estimate that CI chondrites might make up as much as 30% of the samples collected by Chang’e-6.
Lin Mang from the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, one of the study’s coauthors, noted the implications for our understanding of how water reached the Moon. These findings also support theories that carbonaceous asteroids contributed to Earth’s water supply billions of years ago.
In a world of rapid discoveries, the Chang’e-6 mission sheds light on the mysteries of our solar system and raises intriguing questions about the origins of water on celestial bodies.
Source link
