Source: Xinhua News Agency
A bright moon has always carried the longing and curiosity of countless people since ancient times. In June 2024, the Chang'e-6 mission successfully brought back 1935.3 grams of lunar samples, achieving a pioneering feat in humanity's first lunar far-side sample return, providing an important opportunity to better understand the Moon.
In the past year, Chinese scientists have made a series of significant discoveries from the Chang'e-6 lunar samples, gradually unveiling the mysteries of the lunar far side and making more "Chinese contributions" to human exploration of the universe. Humanity is now getting to know a "brand new" Moon.
The first batch of research results revealed the volcanic activity history of the lunar far side.
On November 15, 2024, two independent research results obtained by Chinese scientists from the Chang'e-6 lunar samples were published in the international academic journals "Nature" and "Science."
Schematic diagram showing two phases of basaltic volcanic activity and their mantle source properties recorded by the Chang'e-6 lunar samples. (Image courtesy of the Chinese Academy of Sciences)
The two studies revealed for the first time that there was still young magma activity on the lunar far side about 2.8 billion years ago. One study showed that magma activity on the far side existed as early as 4.2 billion years ago and continued for at least 1.4 billion years. These studies provide key scientific evidence for understanding the evolution of the Moon.
Reviewers from "Nature" and "Science" commented that these findings are "exciting" and "provide a unique perspective for understanding the geological history of the entire Moon."
Obtaining the first information on the ancient magnetic field on the lunar far side
Chinese scientists used the Chang'e-6 lunar samples to analyze the magnetic field information on the lunar far side about 2.8 billion years ago. This is the first information on the ancient magnetic field on the lunar far side, filling a data gap in the mid-to-late evolution of the lunar magnetic field. It provides important evidence for studying the evolution of the lunar magnetic field and exploring the "lunar dynamo."
The record of the lunar dynamo in the Chang'e-6 basalt samples reveals relatively active "lunar dynamo" activity 2.8 billion years ago. (Image courtesy of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
The relevant research paper was published online in the international academic journal "Nature" on December 20, 2024. Reviewers from "Nature" believed that this study provided the first ancient magnetic field measurement results from the lunar far side, making an important contribution to enhancing human understanding of the lunar magnetic field.
Filling in the "far side" puzzle to verify the lunar magma ocean hypothesis
Chinese scientists verified the full-moon-scale lunar magma ocean hypothesis through research on basalt in the Chang'e-6 lunar samples. The related research paper was published in the international academic journal "Science" on February 28, 2025.
Basalt fragments in the landing area, lander, and lunar samples of the Chang'e-6 mission. (Image courtesy of the Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
As reported, the lunar magma ocean hypothesis suggests that when the Moon formed, it presented as a global magma ocean. As the magma ocean cooled and crystallized, lighter minerals floated to form the crust, while heavier minerals sank to form the mantle, with residual melts forming the KREEP layer between the crust and mantle. This study provided the first "far side" evidence for the lunar magma ocean hypothesis.
This study also proposed that the giant impact that formed the South Pole-Aitken Basin may have modified the early mantle in this region, providing critical scientific evidence for exploring the origin and evolution of the Moon.
The largest lunar impact "scar" formed 4.25 billion years ago
A research team in China determined through research on the Chang'e-6 lunar samples that the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the lunar far side formed 4.25 billion years ago. The relevant research paper was published on March 21, 2025, in the academic journal "National Science Review."
Chang'e-6 Su Chang rock records the large impact event at the South Pole-Aitken Basin 4.25 billion years ago. (Image courtesy of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
As reported, the South Pole-Aitken Basin, with a diameter of about 2,500 kilometers, is the oldest and largest impact "scar" on the Moon. The Chang'e-6 mission retrieved the first "on-site" samples from the South Pole-Aitken Basin, providing conditions for accurately confirming the formation time of the basin. This discovery provides an initial anchor point for the early large impacts in the solar system and has important scientific significance for exploring the early evolution of the Moon and even the solar system.
The lunar mantle on the far side is drier than on the near side
Chinese scientists conducted a water content study on the basaltic fragments from the Chang'e-6 lunar samples. The results showed that the water content in the mantle source of the Chang'e-6 basalt was only 1 to 1.5 micrograms per gram, the lowest value reported so far, indicating that the mantle source of the Chang'e-6 basalt is drier than that of the lunar near side. The related research paper was published online in the international academic journal "Nature" on April 9, 2025.
Research results from the Chang'e-6 lunar samples show that the lunar far-side mantle is drier than the near-side mantle. (Image courtesy of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
This achievement will provide strong support for better conducting related research on the origin and evolution of the Moon. Reviewers from "Nature" believed that this study was the first to measure the water content in the lunar far-side mantle, highly original, and a significant discovery in this research field. (Reported by Zhang Quan and Liu Zhen)
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