Chinese researchers have discovered the potential to establish a unified global system for dating the lunar surface, which could enhance our understanding of the moon's geological history.
As interest in lunar studies and planetary surfaces grows, a team from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has reached a significant breakthrough that could lead to the creation of a worldwide standard for dating the moon's surface. Their findings, published in the journal 'Science Advances', indicate that the impact crater rates on both the near and far sides of the moon are fundamentally consistent, suggesting a cohesive model for understanding lunar impacts over time.
The research relied on analyzing remote sensing images from the landing site of the Chang'e 6 mission and the Aitken basin in the lunar south pole, integrating this data with historical samples from the Apollo, Luna, and Chang'e 5 missions. The results demonstrated that the crater density on the far side corresponds with models from the near side, indicating that the impact flow is homogeneous across the entire moon. Lead author Yue Congyue emphasized that this provides a strong basis for a unified lunar chronological sequence.
The Chinese mission which collected 1935 grams of lunar samples from the Aitken basin in June 2024 is poised to contribute significantly to this unified timeline, enhancing our understanding of lunar geology and potentially informing future explorations of not only the moon but also other planetary bodies. This research signifies an important step in lunar science, paving the way for a standardized approach in understanding celestial impact history and geological development.
