A recent study stunned the scientific world. According to research, the Moon is much older than previously thought. Researchers conducted their studies on samples collected by Apollo 17 astronauts in 1972. As a result of these studies, scientists conducted an analysis suggesting that the Moon may be 4.46 billion years old. The result is quite interesting. According to this figure resulting from the analysis, the Moon is 40 million years older than expected.
The scientific world is astonished: The Moon is 40 million years older than we thought!
Scientists conducted a study on zircon crystals, which are tiny trace mineral crystals found in a sample of dusty material called regolith taken from the lunar surface. Dieter Isheim, one of the researchers from Northwestern University, made a statement on this subject.
In his statement, “This work is a testament to the tremendous technological progress we have made since 1972, when the last manned lunar mission returned to Earth. These samples were brought to Earth half a century ago. “But only today do we have the tools to do the necessary level of microanalysis, including atomic probe tomography.” said.
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Assays count individual atoms within a sample. So the analyzes work to see which ones are subject to radioactive decay. Researchers have a good understanding of the time it takes for certain elements to decay. Therefore, scientists can estimate the age of a sample by looking at the ratio of decayed and undecayed atoms.
Principal researcher Philipp Heck from the Field Museum made a statement on this issue. In his statement, “Radiometric dating works a bit like an hourglass. In an hourglass, sand flows from one glass bulb to another. Thus the passage of time is indicated by the accumulation of sand in the lower chamber. Radiometric dating works similarly by counting the number of parent atoms and the number of daughter atoms they transform into. Since the conversion rate is known, the passage of time can be calculated.” said.
Researchers have found crystals that are as old as 4.46 billion years. These new findings suggest that the Moon is older than previous estimates. Additionally, this new discovery is supported by some previous research.