NASA Gives Media, Public Look Inside Apollo Moon Rock Vault tells that the space agency is inviting the media for a look at the moon rocks collected by the Apollo Astronauts. The interviews will originate from inside the lunar sample vault, amid the trays of moon rocks and soil samples.
They have had these rock samples for almost 40 years now, so what have they learned? The Smithsonian's Apollo Moon Rocks provides some answers. When you look at the moon, the surfaces have two different appearances - rough and smooth. The smooth regions, mislabeled maria for seas by ancient astronomers are contrasted by the rough, volcanic and impact-strewn region. The far side of the moon, which we can only see from satellite images looks like a child's sandbox after a play session.
From the dark plains (maria), the astronauts collected basalts. Simply, these are iron and magnesium volcanic rocks almost identical to earth. The theory is that large meteorites struck the moon very early after its formation and then volcanic lava filled in the depressions. The primary difference between the rocks on the moon and the earth is there has been no water to dissolve or form minerals. Consequently there is no sandstone or limestone on the moon.
Near impact locations, a new mineral, armalcolite, was discovered. This is a high-titanium mineral. Subsequent checking on earth near impact craters have discovered it on earth as well. It is in abundance, and might be a good candidate for future lunar construction. The Smithsonian also has a soil sample. Unlike the soil we grow plants in, it is pulverized rock and dust, completely void of organic matter.
30 Years Later, Moon Rocks Retain Their Secrets tells, well, there are still mysteries. The big mystery is why there are no water molecules in the rocks. If many of the samples were from comets and meteorites, where is the water? It is believed earth received its water from such collisions, so what happened to the water striking the moon?
One of the rocks in the vault is called the 'Genesis Rock', because it is dated to be 4 billion years old, the same age as the moon itself. The samples in the vault are from the moon's equator, because this band offered the safest landing sites for the Apollo program.
Comments