Based on rock samples collected from Apollo 14, scientists determined the actual age of the Moon to be 4.51 billion years old.
Based on the information returned by the Apollo 14 mission, researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles finally determined the exact age of the Moon. And that number is 4.51 billion years old.
These findings suggest that the Moon formed about 60 million years after the solar system was formed. This result far exceeds previous assessments by other research groups, which suggested that the Moon formed within 100 to 200 million years after the birth of the solar system.
It is known that in the past, the age of the Moon was determined on the basis of the analysis of lunar rocks. It is believed to be the result of many cosmic collisions that have taken place.
Melanie Barboni, who led the study, said: “It is very important to determine the exact age of the Moon. It shows us how the solar system evolved and the formation of rocks, including the Earth as well.”
To be able to determine the exact number of the Moon’s age, the team of researchers performed a thorough analysis of rock samples containing zircon – a substance collected by Apollo 14 from the Moon’s surface in 1971. .
Thus, experts have discovered that zircon is a substance capable of retaining the best geological history. Thanks to him, we can discover the origin of this substance.
Zircon minerals are very small in size, equivalent to only a grain of sand on Earth. However, scientist Melanie Barboni said: “Size doesn’t matter, they recorded some very interesting information.”
According to Barboni, the Moon was formed from debris created when meteorites hit the Earth. And this process would have taken place about 4.51 billion years ago.
Currently, the expert team continues to analyze more zircon samples collected by Apollo 14.
The study also showed that the internal structure of zircon is made up of four different elements: uranium, lead, lutetium and hafinium. However, Barboni and his colleagues believe that the above results will support their hypothesis about the age of the Moon.
