New Breakthrough in Chang'e-6 Samples: Potential Insights into the Moon's Ancient Lunar Crust
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Author:小编   

The Chang'e-6 mission triumphantly returned samples from the Apollo Basin on the Moon's far side, offering invaluable insights into the Moon's primordial past. Leveraging data from the SELENE (Kaguya) spacecraft, researchers pinpointed 51 sites of exposed pure anorthosite, a key component of the Moon's original lunar crust. Notably, the impact crater ejecta near the landing site has accumulated to over 10 centimeters, hinting that the retrieved samples might encompass fragments of this ancient lunar crust. Additionally, low-calcium pyroxene, likely stemming from the lunar mantle, was detected in the Apollo Basin, suggesting that the samples could contain materials from both the lunar crust and mantle. This groundbreaking discovery holds immense significance for understanding the cooling process of the lunar magma ocean and the subsequent evolution of the Moon's crust-mantle system.