Lunar bead helps understand the results of asteroid impacts

Scientists are analyzing a small bead brought back from the Moon by the Chang’e-5 mission. This could provide new insights into the internal structure of this cosmic body. Studies show that the bead carries essential information about the forces that influenced the formation of the Moon and its surface.

This small glass bead was part of a 1.7 kg sample collected by the Chinese automated module on the lava plain Oceanus Procellarum in 2020. This area, also known as the “Ocean of Storms,” has a unique geological structure that scientists actively study.

Recent studies have established that the bead was formed approximately 68 million years ago in conditions of high-temperature activity on the Moon. Its chemical composition, which contains a high percentage of magnesium oxide, radically differs from other volcanic rocks in this region. The research team notes that this discovery is of great importance for understanding the history of the Moon.

It is possible that the bead was formed by a collision between the Moon and an asteroid, which caused material from the upper mantle to be ejected onto its surface. This process may also have led to craters that cover much of the Moon.

Tim Johnson, a geologist at Curtin University in Australia, believes that discovery is essential for studying the Moon’s evolutionary processes. He notes that collisions can reveal mantle material normally inaccessible to research.

The bead may also be related to the Imbrium Craton, a vast impact crater created about 4 billion years ago. It is believed that their formation caused deep cracks in the lunar crust through which material from the mantle erupted. This material was then melted again by another collision about 68 million years ago, forming the glass beads.
Alexander Nemchin, another geological expert, emphasizes that these samples allow scientists to look into the Moon’s “inner worlds.” Glass beads are becoming a new tool for understanding the geological processes that took place on this space object.

The Chang’e-5 mission opened new horizons for studying lunar samples prepared for international scientists. Researchers from different countries are analyzing these samples to gain a deeper understanding of volcanic activity on the Moon, which is believed to have occurred about 120 million years ago.

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