The moon is older than we thought
New data adds 40 million years to the satellite's age
Our planet's trusty satellite has been around longer than we previously thought. Scientists analyzed lunar crystals brought back by Apollo 17 astronauts in 1972, and determined the moon was actually 4.46 billion years old, 40 million years older than previously believed, per a new study published in the journal Geochemical Perspective Letters. “It moves the goal post,” Jennika Greer, who worked on the study, told The Washington Post. “It pushes back the minimum age of the moon formation.”
Researchers studied minerals in lunar dust called zircons, which are “cosmic timepieces that started ticking once that magma ocean cooled and solidified,” per the Post. The zircon pieces analyzed in the study are the oldest to date. However, many were skeptical that the age was accurate, given that these crystals were older than any other samples. “It’s been controversial for the last 50 years, since the 1970s when the astronauts brought back the samples from the moon,” Bidong Zhang, who led the study, told the outlet. “Apollo rocks were very consistent at 4.3 billion years old. That’s why people are like: ‘Why would this age be different?’"
Scientists have long believed that the moon came to be after a Mars-sized object crashed into the Earth resulting in a large fragment breaking off and becoming the moon. The debate was when this occurred. "Our atom probe analysis concluded the study and leaves no doubt about the 4.46-billion-year age of the zircon," Phillipp Heck, senior author of the study, told Newsweek. "I was very happy to see that with our new study the old age of the zircon crystals could be nailed down without a doubt.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
Major League Baseball is facing an epidemic of pitcher's injuries
Under the Radar Many insiders are blaming the pitch clock for the rise in injuries — but the league is not so sure
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
8 movie musicals that prove the screen can share the stage
The Week Recommends The singing and dancing, bigger than life itself
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
2024 Mother's Day Gift Guide
The Week Recommends A present for every mom
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
What is NASA working on?
In Depth A running list of the space agency's most exciting developments
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
14 recent scientific breakthroughs
In Depth From photos of the infant universe to an energy advancement that could save the planet
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
The hunt for Planet Nine
Under The Radar Researchers seeking the elusive Earth-like planet beyond Neptune are narrowing down their search
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Winchcombe meteorite: space rock may reveal how water came to Earth
The Explainer New analysis of its violent journey confirms scientific theories on the origin of our planet's H2O
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Why the Moon is getting a new time zone
The Explainer The creation of 'coordinated lunar time' is part of Nasa's mission to establish a long-term presence on Earth's only natural satellite
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Blind people will listen to next week's total eclipse
Speed Read While they can't see the event, they can hear it with a device that translates the sky's brightness into music
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Melting polar ice is messing with global timekeeping
Speed Read Ice loss caused by climate change is slowing the Earth's rotation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
An amphibian that produces milk?
speed read Caecilians, worm-like amphibians that live underground, produce a milk-like substance for their hatchlings
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published