Chinese scientists continue to reap the benefits of pioneering by reporting new discoveries made by examining lunar soil samples taken from the far side of the moon. The world’s first samples, taken from the side of the Moon hidden from Earth observers, were delivered to Earth by the Chinese Chanye-6 probe in June 2024. Initial studies showed differences in the composition of the rocks near the moon, but as the new study proves, common features were also found.

Analysis by remote sensing of the Moon’s surface from the far side has led scientists to believe that volcanic activity there ceased a long time ago, about 4 billion years ago. Traces of younger volcanic activity dating back 2 billion years were found on the visible side of the satellite. This is evidenced by soil samples delivered to Earth by Soviet, American and, more recently, Chinese missions.

There are significant differences between the topography and geology of the visible and far sides of the Moon, and scientists are trying to understand the reasons for this phenomenon. It is assumed that the differences may be related to the characteristics of the dynamics of volcanic activity. Volcanoes on the far side of the Moon went extinct several billion years earlier than on the visible side, possibly affecting the composition of the rocks and the geology of the surface. This may also indicate a lower content of radioactive material in the mantle of the backside, which produces heat and contributes to energy transfer from the underground to the surface.

The Chanier-6 probe took soil samples from Apollo Crater in the Antarctic-Aitken Basin. Radiometric dating of isotopic decay in the basalts showed that volcanic activity at the landing site ceased only 2.8 billion years ago; This was a surprising discovery for the researchers. This suggests that volcanic activity on both sides of the Moon lasted approximately the same amount of time and cannot explain the differences in their geology. But the study of samples has only just begun, and the real discoveries are yet to come.