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First Detailed Geological Map of the Moon’s South Polar Region
Context
In 2023, India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully landed on the moon’s south pole, a region previously unexplored by any lunar mission. This mission has resulted in the first-ever detailed geological map of the moon’s south polar region, created by Indian scientists. The map is shedding new light on the moon’s history, its formation, and its geological makeup.
What is in the first detailed geological map?
- The detailed geological map was created using data from the Pragyan rover, which was deployed by the Vikram lander.
- The map shows an undulating landscape, including highlands and flat plains, surrounding the landing site.
- It highlights the Schomberger crater, which was identified as the primary source of debris around the landing zone.
- This crater is part of the lunar impact history, and its study helps understand the moon’s evolution.
- The region’s age is estimated to be 7 billion years, a time when Earth’s first microbial life emerged. This aligns with the time when the moon began to solidify after its formation.
- The map also confirmed the presence of primordial magma beneath the surface, an ancient ocean of molten rock that stretches across the entire moon. This discovery adds to our understanding of the moon’s geological history and supports previous evidence from past missions.
- Key Discoveries and Their Significance:
- Magma Beneath the Surface: Data from Chandrayaan-3 confirmed that magma lies beneath the moon’s surface in the south pole region. This supports earlier data from other missions, but it is the first confirmation of this in the high-latitude area.
- Lunar Impact Craters: The map identified key impact craters, including the South Pole-Aitken Basin, one of the largest impact craters in the solar system. Lunar craters are important for understanding the early solar system and can serve as time capsules for studying the moon's history.
- Common Origin of Earth and Moon: The study revealed that Earth and the moon share a similar geochemical history and likely originated from the same molten cloud of material about 5 billion years ago. The moon is thought to have formed from debris after a collision between Earth and a Mars-sized planet.
South Pole landing
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