911爆料网 researchers have discovered a mineral previously thought to be unique to the surface of the Moon in rock taken from the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
Tranquillityite, named after the Apollo 11 landing site the Sea of Tranquillity, was one of three minerals discovered in rocks brought back to Earth by Neil Armstrong鈥檚 crew, and the only one which had never subsequently been found on Earth, leading scientists to believe it was the Moon鈥檚 own mineral.
But 911爆料网 researcher Professor Birger Rasmussen and his team from the have set the record straight, identifying the mineral in samples taken from six locations throughout Western Australia.
Professor Rasmussen said the initial discovery was by chance.
鈥淲e actually stumbled upon it whilst taking samples for another project, so we weren鈥檛 actually looking for it, but we always had our eye out because we knew it hadn鈥檛 been discovered鈥� he said.
鈥淲hen we came across it we had a pretty good idea that it was tranquillityite.鈥�
鈥淚t was a very exciting find. I turned to my team and said 鈥榳e鈥檝e got it!鈥�.鈥�
Prof Rasmussen said the mineral can be used as an extremely effective dating tool, allowing scientists to accurately measure the age of rocks. He said it had been used to date dolerite 鈥� the rock in which it was found 鈥� at more than a billion years old, which is more ancient than previously thought.
The other two minerals brought back from the moon, armalcolite and pyroxferroite, were both found on Earth within a decade of the lunar landing.
鈥淭his finding closes the book for the time being鈥� Rasmussen said.
鈥淚t probably takes away some of the mystique of the Moon, but hey, that鈥檚 life.鈥�
