Ancient Rock Reveals Mysteries of the Moon Dating Back 4.2 Billion Years

Eruptions occurred on the enigmatic far side of the moon. the moon Billions of years ago, according to recent findings.

Researchers examined moon dirt returned to our planet from China Chang'e-6 spacecraft, the initial mission to retrieve samples of rock and soil from the lesser-known far side of the moon, has successfully returned these materials.

Two distinct groups discovered pieces of volcanic stone estimated to be approximately 2.8 billion years old. Interestingly, one sample was even older, traced back to around 4.2 billion years ago.

'To get a sample from this region is crucial since we currently lack any data about it,' stated Christopher Hamilton, a planetary volcanologist at the University of Arizona.

Researchers have discovered evidence suggesting that active volcanoes existed on the near side of the Moon—the face we see from Earth—during a comparable period in history.

Earlier research, which included information from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, indicated that the far side could potentially have a history of volcanism as well.

The initial specimens retrieved from that area not facing Earth indicate a dynamic past. These findings were released on Friday in the publications Nature and Science.

China has sent multiple space vehicles to the moon.

In 2020, the Chang'e-5 mission brought back lunar samples from the Moon's near side—the first such retrieval since the rock collections obtained by NASA's Apollo missions and the Soviet Union's efforts in the 1970s.

In 2019, the Chang'e-4 probe made history as the first mission to land on the lunar far side.

The moon's distant side is dotted with impact craters and contains less of the smooth, darker areas found on its close side, which were formed by ancient lava flows.

The reason behind the significant differences between the two halves remains unclear, according to study co-author Qiu-Li Li from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Li stated that the recent discoveries indicate more than a billion years of volcanic activity on the moon's far side.

Subsequent studies will ascertain how the activity continued for such an extended period.

Contact our news team by sending an email to webnews@.co.uk .

To find similar tales, check our news page .

Sign up to receive the essential news updates, inspiring positive stories, insightful analyses, and much more. 's News Updates newsletter