Researchers continue to analyze lunar soil samples delivered to Earth by the Chinese Chang’e-5 mission. They managed to identify new types of geology from the regions of the moon that have yet to be studied.
Among the 1,731 kg of regolith, which is 2 billion years old, seven different types of rocks were found. In particular, this is a completely new type of lunar basalt. Researchers believe that it originated at a time when volcanic activity remained on the moon.
All seven types are so-called “exotic” — in other words, moved to the place where they were found, from another location located about 400 km away. Most likely, the rock got to this place due to the fact that a meteorite hit the surface of the moon.
Researchers note that three of the seven fragments have unusual petrological properties. In particular, one of them has a high content of titanium, and in general the mineralogical composition is new to the Moon.
Earlier, NASA announced its intention to send an expedition to Mars by the end of the 2030s.
