Basalt study reveals moon's asymmetry

Chinese scientists have shed light on the geochemical characteristics of the basalt samples from the lunar far side brought back by the Chang'e 6 robotic probe last year, providing crucial insights into the early crust-mantle evolutionary history of the moon.

The study, led by the National Astronomical Observatories and the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was published in Nature journal on Wednesday.

Wu Fuyuan, an academician of CAS and a corresponding author of the study, said the moon displays an asymmetry between its near and far sides, characterized by pronounced differences in topography, composition, crustal thickness and volcanic activity.