Chang'e-6 Unveils Moon's Volcanic History

China's Chang'e-6 mission has unveiled significant findings about the Moon's far side, revealing a long period of volcanic activity. The mission retrieved soil samples containing volcanic rock fragments with ages ranging from 4.2 billion to 2.8 billion years old, indicating at least 1.4 billion years of volcanic eruptions in this region. This discovery highlights a stark contrast between the far and near sides of the Moon, with the far side showing fewer basaltic plains and a different chemical composition. The findings, published in the journals Nature and Science, offer valuable insights into the Moon's geological history and its hemispheric dichotomy. Researchers emphasized the importance of these samples for understanding lunar volcanism, as prior data primarily came from near-side missions like NASA's Apollo and Soviet Luna programs. These discoveries fill a critical gap in lunar research and will guide future studies on the Moon’s volcanic history.