When Apollo astronauts first set foot on the moon, they anticipated encountering grey rocks and dust. What they weren #39;t prepared for was the enchanting discovery of small, vibrant orange glass beads scattered across the moon’s granular landscape. Each bead is smaller than a grain of sand and serves as a capsule of ancient history. Millions of years ago, the volcanoes were active. These beads formed approximately 3.3 to 3.6 billion years ago during volcanic eruptions on the surface of young celestial bodies.
The tale of these glass beads begins with explosive volcanic activity that would have been truly spectacular to witness. This occurred when a lunar volcano propelled material from within to the surface, with each droplet of lava solidifying instantly in the moon’s frigid vacuum. This eruption resembles the famous Hawaiian lava fountain but unfolds in an airless realm of space.
In the absence of an atmosphere that might slow them down or erode them, these tiny glass spheres have remained untouched for over three billion years. For half a century, these samples languished in laboratories, awaiting technology to advance to the level of scientific curiosity.
“They are among the most extraordinary extraterrestrial samples we possess. The beads are small, pristine capsules from the moon.”
Ryan Ogliore, associate professor of physics at Washington University in St. Louis.
Researchers are now finally able to examine the beads using advanced microscopy techniques that didn #39;t exist during the Apollo missions. They employed cutting-edge tools, including high-energy ion beams and electron microscopes, to analyze the beads without inflicting damage. They needed to be meticulous to safeguard the samples against the Earth #39;s atmosphere, which could alter the ancient minerals present on the surface.
The scientific value of these beads derives from their varied colors and compositions, each telling a different chapter of the Moon Volcano Story. Some beads gleam orange, while others shine black. Each type provides insights into the different volcanic eruptions that have occurred over countless millennia.
The mineral and isotopic composition on the surface of the beads acts as a window into the various pressures, temperatures, and chemical conditions present during the lunar eruptions that occurred 3.5 billion years ago. Scientists have found that volcanic activity styles evolve over time, offering insights into the moon’s interior evolution.
As Ogliore eloquently explained, the examination of these beads is “like reading the diary of an ancient lunar volcanologist.” Each small sphere contains clues about the conditions deep within the moon during a time when our Solar System was still young and dynamic.
These glass beads serve as a reminder that the moon was not the tranquil, inert world it appears to be today. Billions of years ago, it was a geologically vibrant place, with explosive volcanoes creating these stunning, microscopic windows into lunar history, revealing secrets to modern science.
Original version Published by Today #39;s Space.
Source: www.livescience.com