Scientists uncover lunar water disparity

Chinese scientists have discovered striking differences in water content between the moon's near and far sides through analysis of basalt samples from the Chang'e 6 mission.

The team's findings, published on Thursday in the journal Nature, reveal that the mantle source of Chang'e 6 mare basalts contains 1 to 1.5 micrograms per gram of water, indicating that the lunar far side mantle contains less than one-third the water of its nearside counterpart.

"This result may offer crucial insight into the moon's formation and thermochemical evolution," said Hu Sen, a researcher at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.