Recent studies indicate that when dinosaurs were alive on Earth, volcanoes were simultaneously active on the moon. Evidence is provided by three minute glass beads retrieved from the moon’s surface by a Chinese spacecraft in 2020. As per their chemical composition, it’s inferred that the moon’s volcanic activity lasted till approximately 120 million years ago, which is considerably later than prior scientific assumptions. Previous analyses of lunar rock samples obtained through the Chang’e 5 probe had suggested that volcanic activity ceased two billion years ago, while earlier estimates suggested as long as four billion years ago. The study was unveiled in the Science journal.
Senior staff scientist at the Lunar and Planetary Institute, Julie Stopar, stated that this revelation was quite unexpected. Images captured by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter back in 2014 also suggested recent volcanic activity. According to Ms Stopar, these diminutive glass beads comprise the first tangible proof, although further analysis is needed to verify their source. The Chang’e 5 samples were the first lunar rocks to be delivered to Earth, subsequent to those collected by Soviet Union and NASA’s Apollo astronauts in the 70s.
In June, samples were retrieved from the remote side of the moon and returned to China. According to co-author of the study, He Yuyang from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, this research could potentially shed light on how long small moons and planets can remain volcanically active, including Earth. About 3,000 lunar glass beads, tinier than a pinhead, were examined by the researchers; three of them exhibited signs of originating from a volcano.
Moon-based glass beads can form when molten droplets solidify following a volcanic eruption or meteorite impact. Ms Stopar pointed out that current timelines suggest that by the period indicated by this research, the moon would have cooled down and ceased any volcanic activity. She expressed her hope that this pivotal discovery would spur additional research to comprehend how these events occurred.