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Study Finds Moon's Far Side May Be Colder than Near Side
Analysis of 2.8-billion-year-old lunar samples shows the far side's crust is about 20 kilometers thicker and its interior roughly 100°C cooler than the near side.
- In May 2024, China's Chang'e 6 spacecraft collected rock and soil samples from a large crater on the Moon's far side for analysis.
- The mission aimed to test the hypothesis that the far side's interior is cooler than the near side due to fewer heat-producing elements.
- A study published in Nature Geoscience found the 2.8 billion-year-old rock formed at about 1,100°C, roughly 100°C cooler than near-side samples.
- Researchers including Professors Yang Li and Xuelin Zhu said this supports the 'two-faced Moon' theory that interior differences extend deep beneath the surface.
- The findings provide the first direct evidence of internal temperature contrasts and prompt further research on the Moon's formation and evolution.
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One side of the Moon might be colder than the other
Images of the near (left) and far side of the moon from NASA’s Clementine mission. Credit: NASA A sample of lunar rock returned from a crater on the far side of the Moon by China’s Chang’e 6 spacecraft is helping astronomers understand why the 2 faces of our closest celestial neighbour are so different. The far side of the Moon, most of which can never be seen from Earth, doesn’t look like the face which illuminates the night sky. It has a thick…
·Washington, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources25
Leaning Left4Leaning Right2Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution46% Center
Bias Distribution
- 46% of the sources are Center
46% Center
L 36%
C 46%
R 18%
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