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Tiny Orange Beads Found by Apollo Astronauts Reveal Moon’s Explosive Past
- Researchers led by Ryan Ogliore analyzed tiny orange and black lunar glass beads collected by Apollo 17 astronauts in 1972 from the Taurus-Littrow Valley on the Moon.
- The investigation used modern microscopic techniques unavailable during Apollo missions to explore volcanic conditions that formed these beads 3.3 to 3.6 billion years ago.
- Findings show the beads formed from lava ejected in explosive eruptions on the Moon, similar to fire fountains seen in Hawaii, with each bead preserving chemical details of lunar volcanic plumes.
- Ogliore highlighted that the beads, though very small, offer an exceptionally pure glimpse into the moon’s inner makeup and rank among the most remarkable samples obtained from beyond Earth, emphasizing that obtaining precise measurements was challenging even with modern technology.
- These results provide new insights into the Moon's ancient volcanic activity and bring us closer to understanding its geologic history while highlighting advances in technology over fifty years.
12 Articles
12 Articles
The astronauts of the Apollo program expected a barren, dusty environment at the time, but they found 3 billion-year-old, colorful glass crystals.
Tiny orange beads found by Apollo astronauts reveal moon’s explosive past
When Apollo astronauts stumbled across shimmering orange beads on the moon, they had no idea they were gazing at ancient relics of violent volcanic activity. These glass spheres, tiny yet mesmerizing, formed billions of years ago during fiery eruptions that launched molten droplets skyward, instantly freezing in space. Now, using advanced instruments that didn't exist in the 1970s, scientists have examined the beads in unprecedented detail. The …
Ancient moon volcanoes made tiny glass beads. Here's what they mean.
Tiny glass beads brought back by NASA's Apollo 17 astronauts are helping scientists uncover new clues about how the moon erupted billions of years ago. No one expected these glittering bits among the gray lunar dust back then. The beads, smaller than grains of sand, formed when ancient lunar volcanoes spewed molten rock. That rock quickly cooled and hardened into smooth glass in the cold vacuum of space. Now, using modern tools that weren't avai…
Is There a Trillion Dollars’ Worth of Platinum on the Moon?
You view the Moon as the Earth’s nightlight. Astrophysicist Jayanth Chennamangalam looks at it the way in old-timey California prospector viewed them thar hills—a gold mine. Well, not literally a gold mine. More like a platinum mine. $1 trillion worth of platinum, and other valuable metals, like iridium, palladium, and several others you remember hearing when you played Mass Effect, and all hiding in around 6,500 of the Moon’s craters. In a pape…
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