A new study published in the journal Nature has confirmed that the moon is older than previously thought, with scientists showing how a “remelting event” over 4.3 billion years ago reset the internal clock of most lunar rocks. This discovery helps explain why scientists initially believed the moon formed around 4.35 billion years ago.
The moon’s age has long been a topic of debate among scientists. Researchers proposed that a massive “remelting event” may have occurred, transforming the lunar surface back into molten rock before cooling again, forming crystal-laden rocks collected during NASA’s Apollo missions. This process would have reset the internal clock of some rocks to an older age.
The study suggests that this remelting event could have been triggered by “disorganization” in the moon’s orbit around Earth as it began to drift away from our planet. This disorganization was likely caused by a gravitational tug-of-war between the Earth and sun, which occurred multiple times over 4.3 billion years ago.
The researchers estimate that the moon could be anywhere between 4.43 billion and 4.53 billion years old, with 4.53 billion being the upper limit. A true age for the moon remains uncertain due to limited data and uncertainty in previous studies. However, further analysis of lunar samples may shed more light on the moon’s age in the future.
The discovery provides new insights into the moon’s formation and evolution, confirming that it is older than initially thought. While the exact age remains a mystery, this study has taken an important step forward in understanding our planet’s constant companion.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/space/the-moon/new-study-confirms-the-moon-is-older-than-we-realized-and-reveals-why-we-previously-got-it-wrong