Research published in August claims to have mapped structures hidden beneath the dark side of the moon.
Data collected by China’s Chang’e-4 spacecraft, the first to ever land on the dark side of the moon, revealed distinct hidden structures under layers of lunar history, according to the study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research. Using Lunar-Penetrating Radar, researchers identified the five distinct strata of the moon, some of which suggest the moon was incredibly volcanically active.
Massive buried craters, debris fields and lunar lava fields were finally identified, many of which could be billions of years old. Scientists believe these data prove the moon formed roughly 4.51 billion years ago, around the same time as our solar system itself, LiveScience reported.
One of Saturn’s moons might be our next stop https://t.co/jyGn5RAb3n
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) June 15, 2023
The new data aligns with the theory that our moon was created when a Mars-sized object crashed into Earth not long after it formed, splintering off enough debris to create our moon. Ancient Earth rocks have been found on the moon that could be up to four billion years old, according to Science.
It’s unclear when volcanic activity ceased on the moon. Most researchers claim it was around a billion years ago. But some scientists have argued that our biggest satellite was still volcanically active just 100 million years ago, and could still have magma deep under its surface. (RELATED: Scientists Reveal Ancient Cataclysm That Plunged The World Into Darkness 1,500 Years Ago)
A recent study found a heat-emitting blob on the far side of the moon. It’s not the first time this blob has been identified, but scientists still don’t really know what it is, though some speculate it’s just granite.