Why the Moon Looks “Two-Faced,” Scientists Finally Have the Answer
The Daily Galaxy • • science
Key Points:
- Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences analyzed dust samples from the Moon’s far side, collected by China’s Chang’e-6 mission, revealing chemical evidence of a massive impact that reshaped the Moon’s interior.
- Isotopic analysis showed the far-side dust contains heavier potassium isotopes compared to near-side samples, suggesting the South Pole–Aitken Basin impact caused extreme heat that vaporized lighter isotopes.
- The study indicates the impact penetrated the lunar crust into the mantle, causing deep internal melting and chemical changes that explain the Moon’s hemispherical differences.
- Researchers propose that such large impacts may drive internal planetary processes like mantle convection, influencing both surface and inner planetary evolution beyond visible crater formation.
- This discovery offers new insights into
