NASA
The “other side” of the Moon
From a space mission, China ended up bringing back the first confirmed debris from a type of meteorite that could be very useful.
A thorough analysis of lunar material collected during the China National Space Administration (CNSA) Chang’e-6 mission showed dust particles from a type of water-bearing meteorite so fragile that it rarely survives entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.
It is the first confirmed debris from a type of meteorite known as IVUNA-type carbonaceous chondrite (or CI chondrite) to be found on the Moon, demonstrating that fragile, water-bearing asteroids can leave microscopic traces embedded in the lunar regolith.
A new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that the chemical and isotopic analysis revealed the most surprises: the reasons for the investigation are consistent with a originate within a CI chondrite that collided with the Moon, melted, and then cooled rapidly, preserving its chemistry for millions or even billions of years.
What does this prove? What the lunar environment may be better than Earth’s at preserving this material: the team’s analysis suggests that CI chondrites could represent up to 30% of the Moon’s meteorite collection.
“Given the rarity of CI chondrites in Earth’s meteorite collection, our integrated methodology for identifying exogenous materials in lunar samples and potentially other returned samples offers a valuable tool for reassessing the proportions of chondrites in the inner Solar System,” the researchers conclude.
