Latest news with #RyanOgliore
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Apollo astronauts discovered the moon is covered in tiny orange glass beads. Now we finally know why.
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. When Apollo astronauts first set foot on the lunar surface, they expected to find grey rocks and dust. What they didn't anticipate was discovering something that looked almost magical: tiny, brilliant orange glass beads scattered across the Moon's landscape like microscopic gems. These beads, each smaller than a grain of sand, are actually ancient time capsules from when the Moon was volcanically active billions of years ago. The beads formed some 3.3 to 3.6 billion years ago during volcanic eruptions on the surface of the then, young satellite. The story of these glass beads begins with explosive volcanic activity that would have been spectacular to witness. The beads formed when lunar volcanoes shot material from the interior to the surface, where each drop of lava solidified instantly in the cold vacuum that surrounds the moon. Picture volcanic eruptions similar to Hawaii's famous lava fountains, but happening in the airless environment of space. Without an atmosphere to slow them down or weather to erode them, these tiny glass spheres have remained pristine for over three billion years. For fifty years, these samples sat in laboratories waiting for technology to catch up with scientific curiosity. "They're some of the most amazing extraterrestrial samples we have, the beads are tiny, pristine capsules of the lunar interior" Ryan Ogliore, an associate professor of physics at Washington University in St. Louis. Now, researchers have finally been able to peer inside the beads using advanced microscopic techniques that didn't exist during the Apollo era. The research team used multiple cutting edge tools including high energy ion beams and electron microscopy to analyse the beads without damaging them. They had to be extremely careful to protect the samples from Earth's atmosphere, which could alter the ancient minerals on their surfaces. What makes these beads so scientifically valuable is that they come in different colours and compositions, telling different chapters of the Moon's volcanic story. Some beads are shiny orange, others are glossy black, and each variety reveals information about different types of eruptions that occurred over millions of years. The minerals and isotopic composition of the bead surfaces serve as probes into the different pressure, temperature and chemical environment of lunar eruptions 3.5 billion years ago. Scientists discovered that the style of volcanic activity changed over time, providing insights into how the Moon's interior evolved. RELATED STORIES —Is the moon still geologically active? Evidence says it's possible —China signs deal with Russia to build a power plant on the moon — potentially leaving the US in the dust —China is sharing priceless moon samples with international partners, but NASA can't be a part of it As Ogliore poetically described it, analyzing these beads is "like reading the journal of an ancient lunar volcanologist." Each tiny sphere contains clues about conditions deep inside the Moon during an era when our solar system was still young and dynamic. These glass beads remind us that the Moon wasn't always the quiet, inactive world we see today. Billions of years ago, it was a geologically active place with explosive volcanoes creating these beautiful, microscopic windows into lunar history that continue to reveal their secrets to modern science. The original version of this article was published on Universe Today.
NDTV
14 hours ago
- Science
- NDTV
Shiny Orange Glass Beads On Reveals Moon's Explosive Past
The Moon is covered with small and shiny glass fragments that range in colour from bright orange to yellow-green. The fascinating bead-like materials were discovered during the Apollo mission and were brought back to Earth along with other Moon samples to study their composition, structure, and formation processes. But scientists have now revealed the mystery behind them. The beads were formed some 3.3 to 3.6 billion years ago and provide insights into the Moon's volcanic history. Their analysis would help scientists understand the geological evolution of our natural satellite. "They're some of the most amazing extraterrestrial samples we have," quoted Ryan Ogliore, an associate professor of physics in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. "The beads are tiny, pristine capsules of the lunar interior," Ogliore added. This orange glass is a type of volcanic glass found particularly in the Taurus-Littrow valley, where Apollo 17 landed, researchers revealed after studying small details. They used advanced technologies that were not available earlier, such as atom probe tomography, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. "We've had these samples for 50 years, but we now have the technology to fully understand them. Many of these instruments would have been unimaginable when the beads were first collected," Ogliore added. The findings of the study, led by Thomas Williams, Stephen Parman and Alberto Saal from Brown University, were published in Icarus. Each bead is less than 1mm across and contains elements like iron, magnesium and titanium. Scientists revealed that they were formed when magma was ejected during volcanic eruptions and rapidly cooled. "The very existence of these beads tells us the moon had explosive eruptions, something like the fire fountains you can see in Hawaii today," he said.
