& # 39; anomaly & # 39; in Detected Massive Metal at 180 Km Under The Surface Of The Moon

Scientists say they have detected a huge mass of metal "firmly anchored" under a crater on the moon, perhaps the remains of a huge asteroid strike billions of years ago.

According to a study published in April in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, the mass is located about 180 km below the surface of the South-South Pole-Aitken basin along the solar system.

"Imagine taking a pile of metal five times larger than the Big Island of Hawaii and burying it underground," said lead author Peter B. James, founder of the planet's global research group. Baylor University, in a press release. "That's about the unexpected mass we detected."

The metals were discovered using data from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

The study proposes two possible explanations.

One is that "the asteroid that formed this crater is still embedded in the mantle of the moon" rather than sinking into its core after an impact about 4 billion years ago, said James.

The other is that the mass contains the remains of the magma ocean of the moon, with the oxides concentrated there when they solidified when they cooled down billions of years ago.

James said the dense metal mass – "whatever its source, whatever it is" – is so heavy that it weighs down the bottom of the pond by more than 800 meters.

"This is a huge result," NASA lunar geologist Daniel Moriarty told National Geographic. "It really gives us an idea of ​​what's going on inside the moon."