The first sample collected from the far side of the Moon includes a volcanic surprise

New research reveals that the far side of the Moon was also volcanically active and that it is poor in potassium, rare earth elements and phosphorus, unlike the visible side.

A new analysis of lava samples from the far side of the Moon has revealed that volcanoes were erupting in that region about 2.8 billion years. This milestone was achieved thanks to samples collected by China’s Chang’e 6 mission, the first to bring material from the most unexplored side of our natural satellite.

The Moon is gravitationally locked to the Earth, meaning the same side always faces our planet. While the visible side has been more explored, the hidden side has received only two probes to dateboth Chinese. The Chang’e 6 mission, in 2024, brought back 1.9 kilograms of rock from the far side, specifically from the South Pole-Aitken basin.

O, published in the magazine Science on November 15, he analyzed isotopes and the chemical composition of the samples to determine their age and origin. The results show that basalt rocks — hardened lava — are 2.8 billion years old.

Previous analyzes pointed to volcanism on the visible side of the Moon at least 2 billion years ago. The new discoveries confirm that the hidden side was also volcanically active. Recent studies of samples from Chang’e 5 suggest that volcanic activity on the Moon may have occurred as recently as 120 million years ago, says the .

The researchers further discovered that the basalt collected by Chang’e 6 originated in an area of ​​the lunar mantle poor in potassium, rare earth elements and phosphorus, in contrast to the visible side, where these elements are abundant. This difference can be explained by the impact that created the South Pole-Aitken basin. According to scientists, the impact may have redistributed materials rich in these elements and melted the lunar mantle below the crater, resulting in its scarcity.

The absence of radioactive elements, such as potassium and uranium, which generate heat when they decay, may also justify the lack of extensive lava flows on the far side. On the visible side, lava flows called tidal basalts cover 30% of the surface, while on the hidden side they cover just 2%.

These discoveries offer a new perspective on the Moon’s volcanic history and the differences between its two sides, highlighting the impact of cosmic events on the evolution of our satellite.