'A single magma ocean' once covered the moon, data from India's Chandrayaan-3 mission suggests

By Joshua Snape published 13 hours ago

The moon was once engulfed by a massive magma ocean, analysis of geological samples collected by India's Chandrayaan-3 mission suggests.



A rendering of a sphere covered in molten lava-like rock
The similarity in composition of new and old lunar samples suggests a magma ocean covered the moon early in its history (Image credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center)


Data from India's recent Chandrayaan-3 mission supports the idea that an ocean of molten rock once covered the moon. Scientists from the mission have published their new findings in the journal Nature.

On August 23 2023, a lander called Vikram successfully touched down on the lunar surface. Controllers then deployed a rover called Pragyan, which had been stowed on Vikram, to explore the landing site.

The location where Vikram touched down was further south than any other landing craft had previously been on the moon. It gave scientists an insight into geology of the moon that had not yet been sampled.

Pragyan's measurements found that the particular mix of chemical elements in the lunar soil (or regolith) surrounding the lander was relatively uniform. This regolith was primarily made up of a white rock type called ferroan anorthosite.

More:
https://www.livescience.com/space/the-moon/the-moon-was-once-covered-by-an-ocean-of-molten-rock-data-from-india-s-space-mission-suggests