25.06.2024 17:54 Uhr, Quelle: Engadget

China’s rock samples from the far side of the Moon have returned to Earth

The first-ever samples from the far side of the Moon have touched down on Earth. China’s Chang’e 6 capsule landed on Tuesday in Inner Mongolia, carrying rocks that could confirm or debunk scientists’ current theories about the Moon’s origin. The samples could help scientists confirm the current hypothesis about the Moon’s origin: that molten Earth collided with a body around the size of Mars, ripping off material that took orbit next to us and created the Moon. “Think about the geology of the Earth: If you only landed in North America, you’d be missing a big part of the story, right?” Richard Carlson, director emeritus of the Earth and Planets Laboratory at Carnegie Science, told NPR. Researchers believe that if China’s rock samples show the same age as what NASA’s Apollo program brought home last century, it would confirm the hypothesis. If it doesn’t, it would throw a wrench into the works, forcing us to revise our understanding of the Moon&r

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