JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Did Moon once turn itself inside out years ago? Here's what scientists have discovered
In yet another remarkable scientific discovery, scientists have discovered that billion years ago the Moon turned itself inside out once.
-
Over 4.2 billion years ago, the moon turned itself inside out to create the lunar surface
-
Moon was formed around 4.5 billion years ago, it was initially hot and covered by a global magma
The lunar surface recognizable to humans was formed when the moon reversed itself over 4.2 billion years ago, according to recent research. As per many scientists, the moon was formed about 4.5 billion years ago when Earth collided with another big planet in the solar system, blasting molten material into space and eventually coalescing into our natural satellite.
But a group of scientists from the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (LPL) have characterized how the moon's creation unfolded following this dramatic beginning as "more of a choose-your-own-adventure novel."
According to scientists, there exist numerous pathways that Earth's natural satellite may have followed to fully form, ultimately resulting in the current moon-Earth system. The group has theories regarding the main events that may have created the moon.
Researchers confirm moon turned itself inside out
According to the researchers, rock samples gathered during the Apollo expedition, for example, might point to a period when the moon "flipped inside out." If verified, this outcome could potentially explain a long-standing enigma regarding the composition of the lunar surface.
Research co-author and LPL associate professor Jeff Andrews-Hanna said, "Our moon turned itself inside out. But there has been little physical evidence to shed light on the exact sequence of events during this critical phase of lunar history, and there is a lot of disagreement in the details of what went down — literally."
Researchers also used simulations of a sinking, ilmenite-rich layer on the moon to better understand how it turned inside out. And the scientists had some answers after comparing them to other gravity anomalies that NASA and its team of experts had identified. The current consensus is that the Ilmenite minerals moved to the near side of the moon and submerged there.
The Moon was once enveloped in a massive ocean of magma, the composition of which caused instability in the young planet. However, it seems that the rocks rich in titanium first melted and interacted with the mantle before rising back to the lunar surface for some unknown cause.
Andrews-Hanna added that a "lightbulb went on," citing a 2022 study by Chinese researcher Nan Zhang, who is now a co-author on the latest work, and speculating that some prior impact to the Moon may have transported the titanium-heavy materials to its core.
Much more investigation and lunar rock samples will be necessary to fully understand how Moon rocks came to be so heavy, as with all theoretical explanations of off-world geology. However, the facts do seem to match for the time being.
Liang summarized the findings of the study by saying, "Our analyses show that the models and data are telling one remarkably consistent story. When the Artemis astronauts eventually land on the Moon to begin a new era of human exploration, we will have a very different understanding of our neighbor than we did when the Apollo astronauts first set foot on it."
Latest Articles
