Lunar magma ocean theory bolstered by Indian mission, study finds

A new study published in the scientific journal Nature provides strong evidence supporting the lunar magma ocean theory, based on data from India's Chandrayaan-3 mission to the Moon's south pole.

The research, led by Santosh Vadawale from the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad, India, analyzed soil samples collected by the Pragyan rover, which landed near the lunar south pole last August.

The lunar magma ocean theory posits that the Moon formed from debris following a collision between Earth and a Mars-sized body about 4.5 billion years ago, US-based Popular Science website explained. This impact would have created a global ocean of molten rock on the Moon's surface, it added.

The study found that the regolith near the South Pole–Aitken basin is primarily composed of ferroan anorthosite, consistent with samples from equatorial highland regions. This supports the idea of a once-global magma ocean, according to Vadawale, said the website.

Regolith is a blanket of unconsolidated, loose, heterogeneous superficial deposits covering solid rock.

Researchers also discovered an unexpectedly high proportion of olivine, a heavy magnesium-based mineral, in the samples. This finding could help refine existing Lunar magma ocean models, Vadawale said.

These results enhance understanding of the Moon's early evolution and may have implications for future lunar exploration and potential resource utilization.