Scientists say that the Moon is millions of years older than they previously thought

The Moon has always been considered a symbol of respect and spirituality. According to legend, the Moon was formed after the creation of the Earth itself about 4.4 billion years ago, when our solar system was still very young. According to one theory, this happened as a result of a large collision with an object roughly the size of Mars, which hit the still warm, soft and newly formed Earth.

This caused a large explosion of debris that combined in orbit to form the Moon. However, new scientific studies of microscopic zircon grains found in lunar samples have led to the discovery that the Moon is even older than previously thought - by a good 40 million years. This is reported by Science Alert.

Read also: Scientists have proven that the Earth's satellite has a solid metal core

This indicates that the Moon is at least 4.46 billion years old, which is only slightly younger than the Earth, which is estimated to be 4.54 billion years old.

These crystals are the oldest solids we know of, and they formed after a giant collision, says cosmochemist Philip Heck of the Field Museum and the University of Chicago. Because we know exactly how old these crystals are, they become an important artifact for lunar chronology.

The exact process of the Moon's formation remains unknown, but certain chemical elements point to its terrestrial origin. The hypothesis of a giant collision remains the most accepted. It is supported by studies that indicate the possibility of such an event in the early stages of the solar system's development, when a large number of large objects and protoplanets traveled through space and collided with each other.

The exact date of this gigantic collision remains a matter of debate, but a growing body of evidence based on the dating of lunar samples suggests that it occurred much earlier than assumed, around 4.4 billion years ago. Some analyses even suggest that the event could have occurred as early as 4.51 billion years ago.

Microscopic zircon crystals have become a useful tool for determining the age of lunar samples due to their special chemical structure. These crystals will contain uranium when formed, but they retain lead. Due to the radioactive decay of uranium, their ratio changes over time, allowing scientists to accurately determine the age of these crystals.

These crystals were found in samples of lunar rock collected during the Apollo missions. The group of Jenny Greer from the University of Glasgow and her colleagues studied zircon found in samples collected during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. They believe that these crystals formed after the lunar surface cooled from the molten magma ocean that covered it after formation.

When the lunar surface was in a molten state, zircon crystals could not form and survive. So, any crystals found on the lunar surface were formed after this magma ocean cooled, explains Heck. Otherwise, they would have lost their structure and chemical properties.

To study the zircon, the researchers used atomic probe tomography, which amplified the crystals to an extreme point and then vaporized the atoms from the point using lasers. A mass spectrometer analyzed the weight of the vaporized materials, which allowed them to determine the age of these particular crystals, which is 4.46 billion years.

This information becomes an important indicator for further research on the history of the Moon, including the time of formation and cooling, as well as a more accurate determination of the date of the giant collision.

Scientists are thrilled to have evidence in hand that suggests this rock is the oldest part of the Moon they have found. This is the key to answering many questions about the history of the Earth, Greer says. Knowing the age of this object helps to better understand how events in its history took place.

As a reminder, astronomers were able to detect a radio signal from a distant galaxy at a distance of 8.8 billion light years from Earth. It may be connected with an alien civilization.

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