Moon Space NASA: Chinese Mission Chang'e-4 Unveils Lunar Secrets of Moon's Hidden Face | Science | New



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The Chinese rover, Yutu-2, was deployed in a huge crater, named Von Karman, at the back of the moon and confirmed ideas about its origin. The results of the mission will help solve long-standing mysteries about the formation and evolution of the moon. Patrick Pinet, Institute for Research in Astrophysics and Planetology (IRAP), said the results of this study are "exciting".

He told the BBC: "They could have far-reaching consequences on the composition of the upper mantle of the moon.

"It is of utmost importance to progress in the discovery of the geology of the dark side of the moon, to expand our fundamental knowledge about the formation of the moon and the origin of asymmetry crustal existing between its near and far faces, and prepare the missions. "

China's mission was the first time that an unmanned lunar lander was contacting the so-called "dark side of the moon" – a feat that the US space agency had not yet accomplished.

The depression crater impact where the Chinese probe landed was created by an asteroid strike billions of years ago.

READ MORE: NASA unveils breathtaking images of our "closest celestial friend"

Scientists at the mission discovered that the impact was so significant that it crossed the moon's crust, revealing the lunar mantle layer underneath, the BBC reported.

The researchers have tried to understand what the mantle is doing between the crust and the core, reported CNN.

Astronomers believe that an opening of magma has covered the surface of the Moon at the beginning of the story, which means that the minerals would have floated to the top.

They explained that the minerals could be olivine and pyroxene, which were discovered in the upper mantle of the Earth.

Professor Li Chunlai wrote in the Nature study: "Understanding the composition of the lunar mantle is essential in determining whether an ocean of magma has ever existed, as postulated.

"It also helps us better understand the thermal and magmatic evolution of the moon."

The data samples collected by the rover showed traces of olivine on the crust and lunar mantle.

Researchers are considering the possibility of returning samples to Earth.

However, they said that more material would be needed to validate these early interpretations.

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