From Discovery.com and Science Now comes news that researchers have discovered a here to fore unsuspected Luna characteristic.
During the Apollo Luna missions during 1969-1972, astronauts installed Passive Seismic Experimental packages. Four in all. The sensors were put in place to record motions of the Luna surface due to moon quakes and other activities. These impacts generating sound waves which were received and archived until late 1977. Recently, seismologists took another look at data collected by these four sensors. Using seismic analysis equipment with the Apollo data, scientist were able to craft a picture of the moon's interior.
Those models turned out to be pretty accurate leading the researchers to conclusions that they were not prepared for. Because it seems that the center of the Moon is very much like that of Earth!
From the article:
- The new research confirms the existence of a solid inner core and liquid outer layer, similar to Earth's. Unlike Earth, the moon also has a partly melted, mushy layer over that.
- The study supports the commonly held theory that the moon formed after a large object smashed into Earth about four billion years ago, creating a cloud of debris that gradually coalesced into our satellite companion.
Courtney's link to the Science Now article on the subject
No comments:
Post a Comment