Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Glistening 'Gel-Like' Substance on Far Side of The Moon Finally Identified
www.sciencealert.com ^ | 8 JULY 2020 | MICHELLE STARR

Posted on 07/08/2020 11:44:38 AM PDT by Red Badger

A peculiar "gel-like" substance the Chinese Yutu-2 rover discovered in a small impact crater on the far side of the Moon last year has now been identified. According to analysis of the images, and comparison with Apollo samples here on Earth, it's exactly what you'd expect to find on the Moon: rock.

More specifically, it's rock that was melted together - likely in the heat of a meteorite impact - to form a dark green, glossy, glassy mass.

"Chang'e-4 rover discovered a dark greenish and glistening impact melt breccia in a crater during its traverse on the floor of Von Kármán crater within the South Pole Aitken (SPA) basin on the lunar farside," the researchers wrote in their paper.

"It was formed by impact-generated welding, cementing, and agglutinating of lunar regolith and breccia."

The glistening substance was first imaged by Yutu-2 in late July of 2019, and revealed the following month on the Yutu-2 drive diary published by Chinese government-sanctioned science outreach blog Our Space.

It was described as "gel-like", which is an unusual descriptor for something found on the Moon, given the lunar landscape is a very dry, dusty sort of place. Images that were released later revealed something that was indeed glossy, but very likely not at all moist - consistent with initial speculation that the substance was impact melt, not gelatinous.

A more detailed analysis of images taken using Yutu-2's Panoramic Camera, Visible and Near-Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (VNIS) and hazard avoidance camera supports this hypothesis.

In particular, the images from the VNIS allowed Sheng Gou of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and his colleagues to break down the light reflected off the substance and determine its chemical composition, in addition to that of the surrounding regolith (the rubbly dust and gravel).

According to this analysis, the regolith is made up predominantly of plagioclase (around 45 percent), pyroxene (7 percent) and olivine (6 percent) - pretty standard Moon-stuff. The glassy substance, however, was a bit more difficult to unravel, possibly due to the poor light. They could only make out plagioclase, at an abundance of around 38 percent.

This is not dissimilar to the surrounding regolith, suggesting that the composition may be similar. The researchers were also able to determine that the material is dark greenish in colour, and measures approximately 52 by 16 centimetres (20 by 6 inches).

It is very similar to two samples retrieved by the Apollo 15 and 17 missions, Lunar Sample 15466 and Lunar Sample 70019 respectively. Both these samples, retrieved from impact craters, are classified as breccia - a type of rock made up of chunks of rock cemented together by finer material. In both cases, the chunks are lunar regolith, and the cement is black glass.

The researchers conclude that the substance was likely created during a meteorite impact. When the meteorite struck, it melted some of the regolith, which mixed with unmelted regolith to form a breccia.

But this did not necessarily take place in the crater in which the material was found. That's because the regolith is probably a mixture of material from two different craters - so it's possible the material was formed in a different crater and ejected, landing where, ultimately, Yutu-2 found it.

Additionally, we have the size of the crater - about 2 metres (6.7 feet) across. The estimated diameter of an impactor that would create a crater that size is only 2 centimetres (0.8 inches) - way too small to create an impact melt 52 by 16 centimetres.

"Hence, the impact melt breccia was not likely formed in situ in the crater where it was found, but was very likely emplaced in a different event and was ejected to the 2-metre fresh crater," the researchers wrote.

There are some limitations. We don't have an actual sample to analyse. As noted, the light was poor; and Yutu-2 moved on from the site in late August of last year, so a second set of images is unlikely to be obtained.

Nonetheles, these results are pretty amazing based on the data we have. And we can finally rest safe in the knowledge that we don't have to worry about a pool of mysterious Moon mucus.

The research has been published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters.


TOPICS: Astronomy; History; Science; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: astronomy; moon; science; themoon
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-49 next last
To: Veggie Todd
Soylent green?

It's People!!!

21 posted on 07/08/2020 12:01:08 PM PDT by ImJustAnotherOkie (All I know is The I read in the papers.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Some robot took a dump?


22 posted on 07/08/2020 12:06:21 PM PDT by umgud
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

China says ........ .

Does it mater what “........” is?


23 posted on 07/08/2020 12:10:57 PM PDT by alternatives? (Why have an army if there are no borders?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

“The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill”)

“That’s a meteor!”


24 posted on 07/08/2020 12:11:56 PM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Were they thinking it was green cheese or something... Sheesh.


25 posted on 07/08/2020 12:13:10 PM PDT by Bullish (CNN is what happens when 8th graders run a cable network.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

J E L L O


26 posted on 07/08/2020 12:13:12 PM PDT by faucetman (Just the facts, ma'am, Just the facts)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

I thot maybe my high school cafeteria food after a moon pie food fight!


27 posted on 07/08/2020 12:13:19 PM PDT by lexington minuteman 1775
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

I thot maybe my high school cafeteria food after a moon pie food fight!


28 posted on 07/08/2020 12:14:02 PM PDT by lexington minuteman 1775
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
Yeah that's what they say. "Just a rock".

And then this happens...


29 posted on 07/08/2020 12:14:37 PM PDT by DannyTN
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

30 posted on 07/08/2020 12:14:53 PM PDT by Red Badger (To a liberal, 9-11 was 'illegal fireworks activity'..........................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
So that's where all the hand sanitizers went!
31 posted on 07/08/2020 12:16:49 PM PDT by monkeyshine (live and let live is dead)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
"even the Moon has Covid-19!"

Too many chinese eating moon-bat soup.

32 posted on 07/08/2020 12:18:41 PM PDT by Joe 6-pack (Qui me amat, amat et canem meum.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: lexington minuteman 1775
moon pie food fight
Moon pie and an RC Cola used to be my "go to" snack some 60 years ago.
33 posted on 07/08/2020 12:20:18 PM PDT by dainbramaged (That information is classified. Request denied.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

Comment #34 Removed by Moderator

To: Red Badger

Naturally the chicoms would be the ones to explain this correctly... They have made and seen the same impact globular mess all over Tienanmen square...


35 posted on 07/08/2020 12:32:47 PM PDT by SuperLuminal (Where is Sam Adams now that we desperately need him)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

According to this analysis, the regolith is made up predominantly of plagioclase...”

Like to hear Sheng Gou pronounce THAT one...


36 posted on 07/08/2020 12:44:21 PM PDT by TalBlack
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

37 posted on 07/08/2020 12:44:51 PM PDT by USFRIENDINVICTORIA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Its just that good ole fashion medicated goo.


38 posted on 07/08/2020 12:47:52 PM PDT by Nachoman (Following victory, its best to reload.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
;^)

39 posted on 07/08/2020 12:57:24 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Hmmm, a glistening gel like substance on the backside of the moon? Sounds like a cosmic dose of Astroglide!


40 posted on 07/08/2020 1:20:12 PM PDT by Mastador1 (I'll take a bad dog over a good politician any day!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-49 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson