How was the new experiment carried out?
A team of researchers led by geologist Jennika Greer, at the University of Glasgow, carried out a new dating of the Moon using zirconium crystals collected during the lunar mission.
Geologists proposed a new method that combines atomic probe tomography and traditional radiometric dating. The lunar material was sharpened to a microscopic point and then lasers were used to evaporate atoms from the surface of the tip. The resulting particles were analyzed in a mass spectrometer where their speed was determined. From this information, scientists calculated the weight of each atom and, therefore, the material of which it is composed.
What is the true age of the Moon?
Inside the crystals, they found uranium and its decay product, lead. Through this element they were able to determine that the sample had at least 4,460 million years, the document says.
With this new discovery , scientists hope to contribute more details about its origin. Currently, it is believed that the Moon formed from the impact between the Earth and an unknown object the size of Mars. The collision ejected a large amount of material from the early Earth, which condensed and cooled to form the Moon.
The zirconium materials collected during the Apollo 17 Mission correspond to the post-impact stage, when the Moon was in the cooling process.
“It’s amazing to have evidence that the rock you’re holding in your hand is the oldest piece of Moon we’ve found so far. It’s an anchor point for a lot of questions about Earth. When you know how old something is, you can understand better what has happened to it throughout its history,” explained Jennika Greer, co-author of the study.