2023 has been an exciting year for the Moon, with India becoming the fourth country to successfully land on the surface of the Moon, which welcomed new friends. At the same time, NASA announced the crew of the upcoming Artemis II mission, which will be the first human visit to the moon in half a century.
From this series of lunar explorations, more and more is known about the moon's composition, internal processes, and unusual characteristics. Here are some of the more compelling facts we've learned so far.
The Moon is moving away from the Earth
Back in the Apollo era of the 60s and 70s of the 20th century, NASA astronauts placed reflectors on the moon so that lasers could be reflected between the Earth and the lunar surface. These tests, known as lunar laser ranging experiments, allow scientists to accurately measure the distance of the moon by observing the time it takes for these signals to bounce back.
In addition to confirming that the Moon is about 384,000 kilometers (238,600 miles) from Earth, the researchers also found that our satellite is moving at a rate of about 38 cm (1.)5 inches) slowly moved away from us. This means that in about 600 million years, the Moon will be too far away to block the Sun, and a total solar eclipse will be a thing of the past.
The Moon is made of the Earth's crust
The story of the origin of the moon is a truly spectacular one. According to our current understanding, the rocky moon was formed when a planet the size of Mars called Theia hit Earth, spewing a lot of debris into space. These fragmented fragments of the early Earth's crust eventually fused to form the Moon as we see it today.
Recently, researchers analyzed zircon crystals in lunar rocks brought back by the Apollo 17 astronauts. By calculating the rate at which uranium in these crystals is converted to lead, they were able to discern that the moon has been 44600 million years old, which means that the catastrophic event that caused it to form must have occurred shortly after the birth of the earth.
The Moon's tectonic plates are moving
A large number of Moon** have been detected, suggesting that the Moon's tectonic plates are actively moving. Recently, India's Chandrayaan-3 rover detected an event on August 26, 2023, although the Apollo astronauts left on the moon have identified multiple times.
These tremors are most likely caused by the friction of the Moon's tectonic plates against each other, a movement that is thought to be caused by the solid tidal force of the Earth's gravity forming on the Moon.
The glass crystals on the moon contain a lot of water
We know that water exists on the moon, although scientists are still figuring out exactly where and how it is stored. Earlier this year, researchers analyzed lunar soil samples brought back from China's Chang'e-5 mission and found surprisingly that the moon is filled with tiny glass crystals containing water.
It is likely that this glass was formed during a meteorite impact, and it acts like a sponge to absorb the water formed when hydrogen atoms from the solar wind hit the surface of the moon.
The far side of the Moon is more conductive
Recently, scientists analyzed data from South Korea's Danuri orbiter and found that there is more magnetic field at the far end of the moon than at the near end, which is a big mystery for the moon. This means that the side of the Moon with its back to the Earth is more conductive, although there is no good reason why this is the case.
Researchers have yet to try to explain this strange difference, although the increase in magnetism may indicate that the far side of the moon hides reserves of water.