Harry is a U.K.-based staff writer at Live Science. He studied Marine Biology at the University of Exeter (Penryn campus) and after graduating started his own blog site 'Marine Madness,' which he continues to run with other ocean enthusiasts.
The moon is at least 40 million years older than we once thought, a new study reveals. Scientists confirmed our cosmic companion's new minimum age after reanalyzing tiny impact crystals from lunar samples taken by NASA's Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
However, the 2021 study authors noted that there was a large amount of uncertainty in their dating method. As a result, the oldest confirmed lunar zircon crystals remained a group that was part of a separate Apollo 17 sample that was analyzed in a 2009 study, which put the moon's earliest possible birth date at around 4.42 billion years ago.
Earth is approximately 4.54 billion years old. So based on the newest study, the zircon crystals were formed around 80 million years after our planet formed. However, the collision that birthed the moon could have actually happened even earlier. In a 2017 study, researchers created a computer model based on data from multiple lunar zircon samples to predict how long the magma cooling process may have taken and, as a result, when the collision actually took place. This revealed that the moon could be up to 4.51 billion years ago, Live Science's sister site Space.com reported.
Österreich Neuesten Nachrichten, Österreich Schlagzeilen
Similar News:Sie können auch ähnliche Nachrichten wie diese lesen, die wir aus anderen Nachrichtenquellen gesammelt haben.
The moon may be 40 million years older than we thought, Apollo 17 samples suggestSharmila is a Seattle-based science journalist. She found her love for astronomy in Carl Sagan's The Pale Blue Dot and has been hooked ever since. She holds an MA in Journalism from Northeastern University and has been a contributing writer for Astronomy Magazine since 2017. Follow her on Twitter at skuthunur.
Weiterlesen »
Rock collected by Apollo 17 astronaut in 1972 reveals moon's ageDuring the Apollo 17 mission in 1972 - the last time people walked on the moon - U.S. astronauts Harrison Schmitt and Eugene Cernan collected about 243 pounds (110.4 kg) of soil and rock samples that were returned to Earth for further study.
Weiterlesen »
The moon is 40 million years older than thought, ancient crystal suggestsThe moon is even older than scientists realized, according to new studies of crystals brought back from the moon by Apollo astronauts in 1972.
Weiterlesen »
The moon is 40 million years older than we thought it wasA new look at the age of zircon crystals in a lunar rock sample brought back by NASA's Apollo 17 mission in 1972 has revealed that the moon formed at least 4.46 billion years ago
Weiterlesen »
The Moon Is Millions of Years Older Than We Thought, Scientists SayThe Best in Science News and Amazing Breakthroughs
Weiterlesen »
The Moon Is 40 Million Years Older Than Scientists ThoughtBy studying moon dust collected in 1972, scientists have come one step closer to understanding the mysterious origins of our planet's largest satellite.
Weiterlesen »