Chinese scientists have found a brand-new mineral called Changesite-(Y) in lunar samples returned by China’s Chang’e-5 lunar spacecraft in December 2020. The mineral resembles a diamond a lot due to its crystal clear appearance.
China is, at present, the third nation in the world to discover a new lunar mineral, marking a significant advancement for the nation’s space science research.
Read out below all the intriguing details.
Diamonds From Moon: New Discovery
On Friday, the day before China’s traditional mid-autumn Festival (the Moon Day), the China National Space Administration and China Atomic Energy Authority announced the findings of Changesite-(Y). The International Mineralogical Association (IMA) has verified the new mineral, which resembles a diamond in clarity. How impressive!
What’s Changesite-(Y) actually?
The Changesite-(Y), discovered by scientists at the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology (BRIUG), is the first new lunar mineral discovered and identified by the Chinese nation and the sixth new lunar mineral discovered to date. So, you can understand how important it is!
Changesite-(Y) is a novel phosphate mineral that forms as a columnar crystal and is present in lunar basalt grains.
Furthermore, the BRIUG research team successfully studied the crystal structure of a single crystalline particle with a diameter of roughly 10 microns (that’s actually one-tenth the diameter of an ordinary human hair) and confirmed it as a new mineral.
The discovery is also significant due to China’s traditions. The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated in the country on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, corresponding to the moon’s purported brightest and largest phase!
The moon is crucial to the festival’s folkloric beliefs and rituals. The names of China’s lunar missions are Chang’e, the moon goddess, and Yutu, her rabbit companion. How sweet!
Another success followed China’s incredible discovery: Helium-3, a potential fusion energy source, was initially discovered in Chang’e-5 lunar soil samples.