How geologically active was the Moon when it first formed and shortly after? This is what a recent study presented at the Goldschmidt 2025 conference hopes to address as a team of researchers investigated the Moon’s interior history, specifically regarding its volcanic activity. This study has the potential to help researchers better understand the formation and evolution of the Moon, which could lead to better understanding of the formation and evolution of Earth.
For the study, the researchers examined the Northwest Africa 16286 meteorite, which was purchased by Didi Baidari in February 2023 from a dealer in Ouargla, Algeria, and weighs 311 grams (0.685 pounds) while comprised of three separate pieces. It is a basaltic meteorite comprised of olivine, pigeonite, subcalcic augite, subcalcic ferroaugite, and maskelynite. The researchers used mass spectrometry to ascertain the approximate age of the meteorite, which is estimated to be approximately 2.35 billion years old, indicating this is the youngest basaltic lunar meteorite discovered on Earth. For context, the Moon is approximately 4.53 billion years old.
Microscopic image of the Northwest Africa 16286 meteorite. (Credit: Dr Joshua Snape / University of Manchester)
“Moon rocks are rare, so it’s always interesting when we get something that stands out and looks different to everything else,” said Dr. Joshua Snape, who is a Research Fellow at the University of Manchester and presented the findings. “This particular rock provides new constraints about when and how volcanic activity occurred on the Moon. There is much more yet to learn about the Moon’s geological past, and with further analysis to pinpoint its origin on the surface, this rock will guide where to land future sample return missions.”
The Moon is hypothesized to have formed from a Mars-sized object colliding with Earth, with the debris clumping together over time to form our Moon. While this has been the longstanding hypothesis regarding the Moon’s formation, its geologic and volcanic activity after its formation has been debated for some time, but this study could help shed new light on the Moon’s activity, enabling scientists to better understand its evolutionary history.
What new discoveries regarding the early formation and evolution of the Moon will researchers make in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!
As always, keep doing science & keep looking up!
Sources: Goldschmidt 2025, Washington University in St. Louis, EurekAlert!
