The Moon is "Rusting", and the Reason is the Earth?

On March 15, the National Space Administration announced that the Long March 5 Yao-8 carrier rocket carrying the Chang'e 6 mission of the fourth phase of the lunar exploration project has safely arrived at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in China. Subsequently, the rocket will be assembled and tested at the launch site together with the Chang'e 6 probe that arrived earlier. At present, all participating test systems at the launch site are carrying out preparations for the Chang'e 6 mission as planned.

The Long March 5 Yao-8 carrier rocket has safely arrived at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in China, marking the beginning of the Chang'e-6 mission of the fourth phase of the lunar exploration project. On the road to exploring the moon, we continue to discover new mysteries, including the strange phenomenon of "rust" on the moon. Do you know anything about it? Let's read today's science story together!

"The full moon is high in the sky, so bright and flawless~!" Xinxin looked at the moon outside the window and imitated the ancients, shaking her head and making eloquent remarks.

"The ancients described the moon as a white jade plate, which is absolutely true!" Kaikai nodded in agreement.

"Haha, you may not know this, but the moon is actually rusting..." said the mother, looking at the two little ones.

"How is that possible? The moon outside the window is clearly white." Xinxin stretched out her little hand and pointed outside the window.

"Rust is an oxidation reaction. There is no oxygen on the moon, so how could there be rust?" Kaikai asked in disbelief.

"Kaikai is right. Rust is actually a substance formed when metal objects are left for too long and oxidized. This substance is not everywhere and usually requires the presence of water and oxygen. For example, Earth's 'old neighbor' Mars is red because its surface contains a large amount of hematite, or rust." Mom nodded and continued, "So people have always believed that the moon, which is famous for its dryness and lacks an atmosphere, cannot rust. However, the detection data obtained by the 'Chandraya 1' launched by India unexpectedly discovered iron-rich rocks at the north and south poles of the moon, and their spectral characteristics match the hematite that exists in large quantities on Mars. Even though this discovery is incredible, it has to be said that the moon is rusted."

"But why? Where did these hematites come from?" Xinxin asked curiously.

"First, let's look at water. There is almost no water in any form on the moon except water ice in craters. However, on October 26, 2020, NASA announced that water molecules were detected on the sunlight-lit lunar surface. This means that the water on the moon is not limited to the cold areas deep in the Antarctic. Researchers speculate that because the moon has no atmosphere, the exposed lunar surface is very susceptible to impacts from interstellar dust particles or asteroids, which would help release water molecules in the lunar surface and provide the necessary conditions for rusting." Mom explained.

"Even if there is water, the moon has no atmosphere. Where does the oxygen come from?" Kaikai asked in disbelief.

The origin of oxygen is still a matter of speculation. Hematite on the moon is concentrated on the near side of the moon, which is the side of the moon that always faces the earth. Therefore, some people speculate that oxygen from the earth is brought to the moon by the solar wind, thus forming hematite. "But later it was discovered that there is actually a small amount of hematite on the far side of the moon, but the oxygen from the earth may not reach those places. Therefore, the truth about the rust on the moon requires more data."

"Wow, will the moon look red like Mars in the future?" Xinxin exclaimed.

"It can turn red without waiting to be completely rusted. Haven't you heard of the 'blood moon'?" Kaikai asked back.

"'Blood Moon' is a special wonder and has nothing to do with the hematite covering the moon. The moon itself does not emit light, but reflects sunlight. A red moon usually occurs during a total lunar eclipse. The reason is that the thick atmosphere absorbs purple, blue, green and yellow light, leaving only red light to penetrate. Of course, compared to the blood moon, the moon we commonly see is silvery white or yellow," explained my mother.

"Let's look at the moon while it's still so bright!" Xinxin looked out the window.

【Knowledge Card】Is the moon rusty?

Mars appears red because of the large amount of hematite, or rust, on its surface. Rust is actually a substance formed when metal objects are left for a long time and oxidized, and usually requires the participation of water and oxygen to form.

The moon, which has always been known for its dryness and lack of atmosphere, was believed to be a planet where rust would not occur. However, data from the "Luna 1" confirmed the existence of hematite on the moon, and the moon was rusted.

Regarding water, on October 26, 2020, NASA announced that water molecules were detected on the moon's surface under sunlight. This means that the water on the moon is not limited to the cold areas deep in the South Pole. Since the moon has no atmosphere, the exposed lunar surface is easily hit by interstellar dust particles or asteroids, which will help release water molecules in the lunar surface and provide the necessary conditions for rust.

Regarding oxygen, it is currently speculated that oxygen from the Earth was brought to the Moon by the solar wind, thus forming hematite. However, this is not a definitive conclusion, and more data reference is still needed.

It may seem incredible, but the moon is rusting...