The moon is at least 4.51 billion years old – or 40-140 million years older than previously thought. This means, “only” about 60 million years after the birth of the solar system, the moon was born. A new research based on an analysis of minerals from the moon called zircons, have given this claim.
These minerals were brought back to Earth by the Apollo 14 mission in 1971 and have now been studied by researchers from University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA).
“We have finally pinned down a minimum age for the moon. It’s time we knew its age and now we do,” said Melanie Barboni, research geochemist in UCLA’s department of earth, planetary and space sciences.
The moon was formed by a head-on collision between the early Earth and a “planetary embryo” called Theia. This had created a liquefied moon, which later solidified.
Barboni was able to analyse eight zircons in pristine condition. “Zircons are nature’s best clocks. They are the best mineral in preserving geological history and revealing where they originated,” added said Kevin McKeegan, a co-author of the study.
Also Read: The trailer of this movie will leave you having goosebumps