The Chang'e-5 mission touched down in the Mons Rumker region of the northern Oceanus Procellarum of the Moon and returned 1.731 kg of lunar regolith.

Recognizing exotic clasts (i.e., non-Chang'e-5 locally derived materials) in the Chang'e-5 regolith could provide critical information about the lithological diversity and regolith gardening process in the young mare region of the Moon.

Recently, Dr. ZENG Xiaojia, Prof. LI Xiongyao and Prof. LIU Jianzhong from the Institute of Geochemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGCAS) have identified seven exotic igneous clasts in Chang'e-5 samples from more than 3,000 Chang'e-5 regolith particles.

This work was published in Nature Astronomy on Dec. 22.

Specifically, the seven exotic clasts identified are: a high-Ti vitrophyric fragment, a low-Ti basalt, an olivine-pyroxenite, a magnesian anorthosite, an evolved lithology, a Mg-rich olivine fragment, and a pyroclastic glass bead. The researchers associated these exotic igneous clasts with impact-ejected materials from other regions of the Moon, over 50-400 km away from the Chang'e-5 mare unit.

By comparison with lunar rocks from the U.S. Apollo mission, the researchers found that three exotic igneous clasts in the Chang'e-5 regolith exhibited unusual petrological and compositional features.

The high-Ti vitrophyric fragment showed unique mineralogy among lunar basalts, probably representing a new type of lunar basalt.

The magnesian anorthosite clast, which was not observed in Apollo samples, provides evidence that magnesian anorthosite is also an important component of the near-side lunar crust.

The pyroclastic glass records a compositionally unique volcanic eruption on the Moon.

This study was the first to obtain exotic igneous lithologies from the 2 Gyr-aged basalt unit of the Moon. This information will provide ground truth for modeling the provenance of regolith at the young mare unit of the Moon. Moreover, the identification of unusual lunar rocks in the Chang'e-5 sample provides evidence that the lithological components and magmatic activities of the lunar crust are more diverse than previously thought.

This research suggests there are still unknown geological units on the moon, which may help in planning future lunar exploration missions.

Research Report:Exotic clasts in Chang'e-5 regolith indicative of unexplored terrane on the Moon

Related Links
Lunar Exploration and Space Program
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Lunar Dreams and more

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Moon water imager integrated with NASA's Lunar Trailblazer
Pasadena CA (JPL) Dec 27, 2022
JPL's cutting-edge instrument, which will provide insights into the lunar water cycle and composition of the Moon's surface, has been incorporated into the small satellite. Lunar Trailblazer, NASA's mission to understand lunar water and the Moon's water cycle led by Caltech in Pasadena, California, is one step closer to launching next year. Earlier this month, the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California delivered a key science instrument to Lockheed Martin Space in Colorado, and the te ... read more

Read more from original source...