The Moon is Rusting - Thanks To 'Wind' Blown All the Way From Earth (nature.com)
- Reference: 0179475436
- News link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/25/09/22/2211252/the-moon-is-rusting---thanks-to-wind-blown-all-the-way-from-earth
- Source link: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03051-2
> Scientists have found that oxygen particles blown from Earth to the Moon can turn lunar minerals into hematite, also known as rust. The discovery adds to researchers' growing understanding of the deep interconnection between Earth and the Moon -- and shows how the Moon keeps a geological record of those interactions, says Ziliang Jin, a planetary scientist at Macau University of Science and Technology in China. He and his colleagues reported their findings earlier this month in Geophysical Research Letters.
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> Most of the time, both Earth and the Moon are bathed in a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun. But for around five days each month, Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, blocking most of the flood of solar particles. During that time, the Moon is exposed mainly to particles that had been part of Earth's atmosphere before blowing into space -- a phenomenon known as Earth wind. That wind contains ions of various elements, including hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. When those charged particles hit the Moon, they can implant themselves into the upper layers of lunar soil and trigger chemical reactions.
[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03051-2
Hematite vs Rust (Score:5, Informative)
Hematite is one specific type of iron oxide. Rust is a non-technical umbrella term for all iron oxides, and the typical red ones we see in daily life are formed by contact with water and are not hematite. Hematite is a dark charcoal gray and is sometimes formed as a byproduct of iron ore processing or other heat and pressure processes in the ground, where oxygen may be present but not water.
Re: (Score:2)
You're right, and on top of that, we usually don't call hematite "rust" colloquially. We either call it hematite, or we call it a rock. If it's not crumbly and at least redd ish people don't usually call it rust.
Earth wind (Score:4, Funny)
As an aside, the Earth wind is worse on Taco Tuesdays.
Re: (Score:2)
That would be Earth, Wind, and Fire.
Re: (Score:2)
The sulfur in that should make beautiful golden pyrite.
Rust evangelism has gone too far (Score:5, Funny)
Isn't it enough to spread Rust among earth's programmers?
Happens more in the fall (Score:2)
Because of our planet's axial tilt, and the updrafts from burning trees in the northern hemisphere.
But that's not news. We've known for decades that Earth Wind & Fire are most prominent in September.
So how long until earths atmosphere is gone? (Score:2)
It canâ(TM)t be replenished can it?
Re: (Score:2)
Well, it can, but the delivery time is a long one -> [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen#Isotopes_and_stellar_origin
Microplastics also? (Score:1)
That makes 2 worlds we've polluted. Probably Mars also: 3.
Re: Microplastics also? (Score:1)
We're already living the real life Idiocracy. Trump will be sending Gatorade soon to turn this devastation around. Right after the forest rake crew is done cleaning the under brush.