An anomalous thermal spot found on the far side of the moon
Miscellaneous / / July 11, 2023
Previously, something similar met only on Earth.
An international team of astronomers has discovered a huge granite formation under the surface of the moon. It is located on the back side of the satellite. Study this was published in the journal Nature.
We managed to find it thanks to data from various lunar vehicles, as well as a new method with using microwaves, thanks to which scientists can measure the temperature below the surface our satellite.
Astronomers have figured out that the heat generated below the surface comes from the concentration of radioactive elements, which can exist on the Moon only in the form of granite - the remains of igneous rocks under extinct volcanoes. This indirectly confirms that the clot is located under the complex of lunar volcanoes known as Compton-Belkovich. The last eruption here probably occurred about 3.5 billion years ago.
Therefore, this discovery did not come as a complete surprise to scientists. Surprising were only the size of the "body" - about 50 kilometers wide. By the way, the temperature in it is about 10 degrees Celsius higher than in the environment.
Previously, deposits of this rock in such a large number have never been found outside the Earth. Astronomers hope that thanks to this discovery, they will finally be able to figure out exactly how the moon was formed.
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