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☆ Apollo 17 samples reveal that the moon is 40 million years older than previously thought
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Lunar dust collected by Apollo 17 astronauts in the 1970s has revealed that the moon is 40 million years older than previously believed. After landing on the moon on December 11, 1972, NASA astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt collected rocks and dust from the lunar surface. A new analysis of that sample detected zircon crystals and dated them to 4.46 billion years old. “When the surface was molten like that, zircon crystals couldn’t form and survive. A lunar zircon grain is shown under a microscope.

Persons: Eugene Cernan, Harrison Schmitt, ”, Philipp Heck, Robert A, Heck, Bidong Zhang, Zhang, Audrey Bouvier, Jennika Greer, Greer, they’re, ” Heck, “, ” Greer, Dieter Isheim Organizations: CNN, Apollo, NASA, Polar Studies, Field, Research Center, University of Chicago, University of California, Bayreuth University, University of Glasgow, Northwestern University, Field Museum, Northwestern University Center, Atom Locations: Chicago, Los Angeles, Germany, Evanston , Illinois

☆ Rock Collected by Apollo 17 Astronaut in 1972 Reveals Moon's Age
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

A half century later, crystals of the mineral zircon inside a coarse-grained igneous rock fragment collected by Schmitt are giving scientists a deeper understanding about the moon's formation and the precise age of Earth's celestial partner. This blasted magma - molten rock - into space, forming a debris disk that orbited Earth and coalesced into the moon. "I love the fact that this study was done on a sample that was collected and brought to Earth 51 years ago. "Interestingly, all the oldest minerals found on Earth, Mars and the moon are zircon crystals. The new study used atom probe tomography to determine there were no complications involving the lead atoms, confirming the age of the crystals.

Persons: Will Dunham WASHINGTON, Harrison Schmitt, Eugene Cernan, Schmitt, wouldn't, cosmochemist Philipp Heck, Bidong Zhang, Heck, Zhang, Jennika Greer, Will Dunham, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Field Museum, University of Chicago, UCLA, Space Center, University of Glasgow, NASA Locations: Chicago, Houston, Scotland

☆ Rock collected by Apollo 17 astronaut in 1972 reveals moon's age
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/4] The crescent Earth rises above the lunar horizon in this undated NASA handout photograph taken from the Apollo 17 spacecraft in lunar orbit during the final lunar landing mission in the Apollo program in 1972. A half century later, crystals of the mineral zircon inside a coarse-grained igneous rock fragment collected by Schmitt are giving scientists a deeper understanding about the moon's formation and the precise age of Earth's celestial partner. This blasted magma - molten rock - into space, forming a debris disk that orbited Earth and coalesced into the moon. "I love the fact that this study was done on a sample that was collected and brought to Earth 51 years ago. "Interestingly, all the oldest minerals found on Earth, Mars and the moon are zircon crystals.

Persons: Harrison Schmitt, Eugene Cernan, Schmitt, wouldn't, cosmochemist Philipp Heck, Bidong Zhang, Heck, Zhang, Jennika Greer, Will Dunham, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: NASA, REUTERS, Rights, Field Museum, University of Chicago, UCLA, Space Center, University of Glasgow, Thomson Locations: Chicago, Houston, Scotland

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