Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) — Chinese scientists have made a major breakthrough in lunar scientific exploration by analyzing lunar soil samples returned to Earth by China's Chang'e-6 probe, providing an important scientific foundation for lunar exploration, according to the China National Space Administration.
Researchers from Shandong University, the Institute of Geochemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Yunnan University have discovered for the first time microscopic crystals of hematite /α-Fe2O3/ and maghemite /γ-Fe2O3/ formed as a result of large impact events.
This discovery reveals a previously unknown mechanism for the oxidation reaction on the Moon. It provides direct evidence confirming the origin of the magnetic anomalies around the South Pole-Aitken Basin.
The researchers identified hematite and maghemite in the lunar samples and confirmed the lattice structures and unique characteristics of primary lunar hematite grains using several methods.
An article with the research results was published in the journal Science Advances.
Since humanity first landed on the Moon, the Moon has been considered a generally reduced body with extremely rare or absent critical evidence of oxidation processes, particularly high-valent iron oxides such as hematite.
The study hypothesizes that the formation of hematite may be closely linked to significant impact events in the lunar history. Intermediate reaction products during such impact events include magnetite and maghemite, which possess magnetic properties and may be the mineral carriers of the magnetic anomalies observed at the northern edge of the South Pole-Aitken Basin during previous remote sensing missions.
The study provides the first reliable evidence for the presence of highly oxidized species such as hematite on the lunar surface in a general superreduction context, shedding new light on the oxidation-reduction conditions on the Moon and the origin of its magnetic anomalies.
In 2024, the Chang'e-6 probe made history by returning 1,935.3 grams of samples from the far side of the Moon to Earth. These samples were collected from the South Pole-Aitken basin, the largest, deepest, and oldest basin on the Moon.
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