- New readings from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter reveal that the metal content inside the lunar craters is significantly higher than on the surface.
- The findings could reveal a new link between the Moon and Earth and support formation theories.
- Ongoing research will target craters in different areas to determine if the trend is consistent across the Moon.
When you look at the moon’s dusty white and gray surface, it’s hard to know exactly what you’re looking at. Here on Earth, the surface is covered in much more colorful earth, sand, or rocks. So what hides the pale surface of the Moon? According to new research by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, there is apparently much more metal on the Moon than previously thought.
The LRO is quite an amazing team, and is equipped with a radar that not only reveals some of the interesting geographic features of the Moon’s surface, but can also offer a clue to what lies below. NASA says new tests point to higher levels of iron and titanium than scientists had realized.
The research, which was published in the magazine. Letters of Earth and Planetary Science, focused on readings taken from scans of large craters on the lunar surface. These impact craters have the ability to reveal what the Moon is actually made of in the background and offer researchers information that might hint at their origins.
“Substantial evidence points to the Moon as the product of a collision between a Mars-sized protoplanet and the young Earth, which is formed from the gravitational collapse of the remaining debris cloud. Consequently, the bulk chemical composition of the Moon closely resembles that of Earth, “explains NASA. However, look at the Moon’s chemical composition in detail, and that story becomes murky. For example, on the bright plains on the Moon’s surface, called the lunar highlands, rocks contain smaller amounts of metals-containing minerals relative to Earth. “
However, readings of the composition from deep craters suggest that the surface is hiding its metal underground. Using the Mini-RF instrument on the LRO, the team measured the material’s ability to transmit electricity, which is also a measure of the metals present. The team found that craters 3 to 12 miles wide were consistent in size, but smaller craters were more metallic based on size.
This suggests that once you dig deep enough, the metallicity of the Moon is relatively uniform and potentially much more like Earth than previously assumed. These findings may support the theory that the Moon was created after a collision between a young Earth and a much larger object, like another planet.
In such a scenario, we would expect to see a large amount of Earth-like material in the bowels of the Moon, so to speak. The team plans to continue scanning craters in different areas to see how similar they are, and to provide additional evidence to support or rule out one or more theories about the formation of the Moon.
Mike Wehner has reported on technology and video games for the past decade, covering the latest news and trends in virtual reality, handheld devices, smartphones, and future technology. Most recently, Mike served as technical editor at The Daily Dot, and has appeared on USA Today, Time.com, and countless other websites and in print. His love of reporting is second only to his addiction to games.
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