Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
The Moon's core is not molten myth but an iron-like solid, revealed in May 2023. This discovery settles a long-standing mystery, reshaping our understanding of lunar history and its impact on the Solar System's timeline.
French astronomer Arthur Briaud’s team suggests a "global mantle overturn" that reveals dense lunar materials sink while lighter ones rise. This process explains volcanic element distribution on the Moon, bolstering evolutionary models.
Apollo mission seismic data, though low-resolution, hinted at the lunar core’s composition. By combining this with modern data, researchers modeled a Moon with a fluid outer core and a solid iron-like center.
The Moon's core mirrors Earth's, with an outer fluid layer and a solid inner core measuring 258 kilometers in radius. Its density, nearly identical to iron, strengthens the comparison to its planetary neighbor.
In 2011, Renee Weber’s NASA team reached similar conclusions using Apollo data. Briaud’s work corroborates those findings, reinforcing the case for a solid lunar core and advancing planetary science.
A once-mighty lunar magnetic field faded 3.2 billion years ago. Core convection and composition are now seen as key players in its disappearance, unlocking deeper mysteries of the Moon’s evolution.
Acoustic waves from moonquakes helped map the Moon’s core. Their journey through lunar layers offered clues that, when combined with modern techniques, revealed the heart of our celestial companion.
Published in Nature, the findings integrate seismic, gravitational, and laser-ranging data to craft the most accurate depiction of the Moon’s inner composition yet, offering a cornerstone for future lunar studies.
With humanity eyeing a return to the Moon, seismic verification awaits. The next missions could confirm Briaud's findings, adding clarity to the Moon's ancient story and paving the way for interplanetary exploration.
Credit: ESA-Pierre Carril