Space agencies have been sending missions to the Moon for more than six decades. More than a hundred of them have succeeded. And each success has told us a little bit more about our satellite world.
One of the more recent lessons came from a Chinese mission. Chang’e 5 landed in the Ocean of Storms – a giant volcanic plain that forms one of the dark patches on the lunar surface. It scooped up about four pounds of rock and dirt, and brought them to Earth four years ago this week.
Earlier this year, scientists reported a big discovery from those samples: Three tiny glass beads were produced by a volcanic eruption about 120 million years ago – far later than any previously known eruption. In fact, the finding suggests that the Moon could still pop off today.
Until recently, the best evidence said the last major volcanic activity on the Moon came about two billion years ago. A lunar satellite has photographed some regions that look like they were formed by more recent activity. But that’s hard to confirm without sampling those regions.
The Moon lost most of its interior heat long ago. But regions with large amounts of radioactive elements might generate their own heat. That could power volcanoes even now – a new insight from our continued exploration of the Moon.
The Moon rises in late evening, with Regulus, the brightest star of Leo, close by. They stay close together as they climb high across the sky later on.
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