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The Moon has two faces and each new research highlights its differences. A recent report from China, based on the latest samples collected by the Chang’e -6 mission, revealed that the interior of the hidden satellite face is much colder than expected.
The first analysis of the lunar soil fragments obtained in 2024 showed that the rocks are about 2.8 billion years, during the late volcanism stage. The basalto geochemistry indicated that the Moon’s mantle in that region reached temperatures around 100 ° C lower than those estimated on samples on the visible side.
Most of the rocks that today cover the lunar surface originated in magmas that sprouted from the mantle during periods of intense volcanic activity. By dating the moment they solidified, scientists can deduce the composition and temperature of the internal layers, even without having directly reached.
This thermal difference between both sides is related to its physical features. The hidden side presents a cortex up to 15 km thicker, a rugged relief, abundant mountains and a higher density of craters. In contrast, the visible face we observe on the full moon looks smoother and covered with basaltic plains known as “seas.”
The asymmetry of the moon and the seas of Magma
The researchers argue that the lack of volcanic activity in the hidden hemisphere during lunar formation could its current characteristics. On the visible side, extensive Magma seas were the ones who softened the surface. The study, published in Nature Geosciencesuggests that the temperature difference in the mantle could be due to the shortage of heat producing elements, such as thorium, uranium or potassium.
“The visible face and hidden face of the moon are very different on the surface and, potentially, inside. It is one of the great mysteries of the Moon. We call it the two -sided moon. For a long Department of Earth Science at the University of Beijing.
The Chang’e -6 mission marked the first time that humanity obtained samples of the hidden face of the moon and analyzed them in terrestrial laboratories. Previous investigations had already shown lunar asymmetry in the presence of molecular water and fuse materials. Now, the new results provide solid evidence of a deep thermal difference between its two hemispheres.
