Moon's far side once had erupting volcanoes, scientists find

Volcanic rock, dating back billions of years, has been detected in the first samples collected from the mysterious "dark side".

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS ElectionUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersVolcanoes once erupted on the far side of the moonGetty ImagesVolcanoes were erupting on the mysterious far side of the moon billions of years ago, US and Chinese researchers have found.

Analysis of samples collected by a Chinese mission found basalt (volcanic rock formed after an eruption) fragments dating back more than 4.2 billion years.

The findings were published in the Nature and Science journals on Friday.

While scientists already knew of volcanic activity on the near side of the moon, which we can see from Earth, the "dark side" is very different in its geology, and remains largely unexplored.

The rock and dust samples - the first to be retrieved from the far side of the Moon - were collected by the Chang’e-6 spacecraft, following a nearly two-month long mission which was fraught with risks.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgl454je0jgo

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