Gases present on Earth have been discovered in meteorites that have fallen from the moon. As a result, the ‘collision theory’ that the moon was formed by the accumulation of fragments that fell off when an asteroid collided with an unconsolidated primordial Earth among theories on the formation of the moon gained more strength.
According to Space.com, a space media on the 12th, a research team from the Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) in Switzerland analyzed six lunar meteorite samples recently collected by NASA from Antarctica and discovered helium and neon gas components.
The meteorites analyzed by the research team are basalt, a type of volcanic rock, formed by the rapid cooling of lava erupted from the inside of the moon. As the meteorites cool, glass molecules form inside, which is thought to be able to trap helium and neon gases. It is also believed that following basalt was formed, other rock layers were surrounded from the outside, protecting the glass layer and gas inside, and thus it was possible to preserve it until now.
This is the first time gas has been found in a lunar basalt meteorite found on Earth rather than on the moon’s surface. In particular, this discovery is attracting attention as it is one of the proofs of the giant impact, the most influential theory on the formation of the moon.
The impact theory is that regarding 4.4 billion years ago, an asteroid the size of Mars ‘Theia’ collided with the primordial Earth, creating debris, and these debris orbiting around the Earth agglomerated to form the moon. So far, it is considered the most influential theory in that moon stones collected from the moon through the Apollo Project in the United States and the Chang’e Project in China have similar chemical composition and structure to those of Earth’s rocks.
In the meantime, many studies have been presented to support the collision theory by analyzing the isotope ratio of moon rocks. A typical example is a study that found that the isotopic ratios of certain elements, such as oxygen, tungsten, and titanium, are the same on the Earth and the Moon. The same isotope ratio was accepted as strong evidence to explain the collision theory, as it means that the two bodies were formed by a specific event.
Conversely, other theories have lost their persuasive power as the collision theory is proven. There are the ‘simultaneous creation theory’ that the earth and the moon were born together when the solar system was formed, the ‘capture theory’ that the moon was captured by the earth’s gravity, and the ‘separation theory’ that the moon fell off due to the centrifugal force of the earth and became a satellite. .
I can’t help but wonder if this discovery can reveal the secrets of the moon’s birth along with isotope ratios.
Source = Media Bamboo
Arrangement = Reporter Hyungi Kim khk@techm.kr