The 10 main scientific discoveries made during the exploration of the moon by Apollo

A list I prepared at the time as part of a series of articles in Haaretz newspaper on the 30th anniversary of the moon landing

1.7.1999
By: Avi Blizovsky

1. The moon is not a primordial object; is an earthly planet which is the result of
A development with an internal layering similar to that of the Earth.

Before Apollo, the state of the moon was the subject of endless speculation
almost. We now know that the moon is made of rocky material that stayed in the plateaus
Various, erupted through volcanoes, and compressed/crushed by impacts
meteorites. The moon has a thick shell/crust (60 km), lithosphere
fairly uniform/average (1,000_60 km), and a liquid asthenosphere
in part (1,740_1,000 km); It is possible that an iron nucleus/core exists
small at the bottom of the asthenosphere, but this has not been confirmed with certainty.
Certain rocks hint at ancient magnetic fields, but not today
A planetary force field exists.

2. The moon is very ancient and still preserves a history of its early days
(the first billion years) which must be shared by all the planets
the mundane The extensive record of meteorite craters on the moon, when
It is modified/its diameter is measured by usage at absolute ages of
Rock samples, provides a key to discovering orders of magnitude of time
For the geological development of the planet Mercury, Venus and Mars
Based on their unique crater credentials. Interpretation
Photo_geology of other planets is largely based on
Lessons learned from the moon. But before Apollo is a crater source
Impacts on the moon are not fully understood, and the origin of similar craters
on Earth was largely debatable.

3. The youngest moon rocks are actually as old as rocks
As the oldest. the early processes and events
The most likely to have influenced the two planetary bodies is given
Now found on the moon only.

The ages of the moon rocks range from about * 3.2 billion years in Maria
(the low, dark basins/crashes) until almost 4.6 billion years
Batra (the high, bright levels). active geological forces,
including plate tectonics? And drift, continue to repave my face
The most ancient area on the Earth's surface, while on the moon they persist
Ancient terrain almost undisturbed.

4. There is a genetic kinship between the moon and the sun and they were created from relationships
different of a common material pool.

The isotopic compositions of oxygen are peculiarly similar to rocks
The moon and the rocks clearly show a common origin. Yet,
Relative to Earth, the Moon is largely depleted of iron
and volatile elements necessary to form atmospheric gases and water.

5. The moon is lifeless; It does not contain any organisms
Life, any fossils or any organic compounds derived from it.

Extensive tests did not reveal any evidence of life among the lunar samples,
in the past or present. Even non-biological organic compounds
surprising in their absence; Their traces can be attributed to contamination
by meteorites.

6. All moon rocks were formed through high temperature processes
with little or no involvement of water. Can be divided
them roughly into three types: basaltic, anorthosite
and rockets.

Basalt rocks are dark lava rocks that fill the mare basins; they
Similar in general, to rocky
The lava that makes up the sea floor on Earth, but are ancient
A lot of them. The anorthosite are light-colored rocks that make up the
the ancient levels; They are generally similar to the oldest rocks
About the same, but much older than them. Breccias are rocks
Composites formed from all other types of rocks by compression, mixing,
And the formation of calcareous or calcareous rock by a layer of springs?
(sintering) during meteorite impacts. There are no sandstones on the moon,
Shale stones/slates or limestones, which indicates importance
The water-dependent processes on the KDA.

7. Very early in history the moon was molten to a great depth, what
who created the "Ocean of Magma". The lunar plateaus contain the remains of
Early, low-density rocks that floated to the surface of
The magma ocean.

The lunar plateaus were formed about * 4.6-4.4 billion years ago by buoyancy
of crust from an early period, rich in feldspar on Oceanus
Magma that covered the moon to a depth of tens of kilometers
or more. Numerous meteorite impacts over periods of time
Geologists have reduced most of the ancient crust and raised mountain ranges
between the basins.

8. The lunar magma ocean was followed by a series of impacts
Huge asteroids, which created basins that were later filled by
Lava flows.

The large, dark basins such as Mare Imbrium are craters
Hit giants, created in the stage
early in the lunar history, and were filled later, before about *
3.9_3.2 billion years, by lava flows. Volcanic eruptions
On the moon they occurred mainly as lava flows that spread horizontally; fountains
Volcanic fire created layers of orange colored glass beads
and green_barkat

9. The moon is somewhat asymmetric in the form of its material, it is possible that
As a result of its development under the influence of the Earth's gravity.
Its crust is thicker in the far part, while most of the basins
The volcanoes and the unusual mass concentrations appear in the next section.

The mass inside the moon is not uniformly distributed. mass concentrations
Large ones ("Mascones") live below the surface of basins
There are many large moons, and they probably represent sabers
thickets of compressed lava. relative to its geometric center, the center of mass
of the moon is shifted by a number of kilometers towards the Earth by a number

10. The surface of the moon is covered with a gravel mass of rock fragments
and dust, called lunar regolith,
which contains a unique history of solar radiation, which has
Importance for understanding climate change on Earth.

The regolith was formed by countless meteorite impacts on the surface
Geological time. surface rocks and mineral grains/textures
unusually enriched in chemical elements and isotopes,
penetrated by solar radiation. Thus, the moon recorded four billions
Years of solar history at a level of perfection that is unlikely to be found anywhere
Other.

The journey of discovery of the moon continues

In 1993, more than 60 research laboratories around the world continued the research
on the Apollo lunar samples. New analytical technologies
Many, which did not exist in 72_1969 when they returned delegations
Apollo samples from the moon, applied by the third generation of
the scientists. The moon's deepest secrets, still await
For solution.