Chang’e-6 lunar samples challenge theories of Moon’s asteroid bombardment history

New analysis of rock fragments retrieved from the far side of the Moon by China’s Chang’e-6 mission is challenging long-held scientific assumptions regarding the Moon’s early history. Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other institutions analyzed impact melt rock samples, dating events from approximately 4.33 billion to 1.13 billion years ago.

The findings suggest that asteroid bombardment of the Moon declined gradually over billions of years, rather than occurring in the short, intense burst previously assumed by planetary scientists. Because the Moon lacks the erosion and plate tectonics found on Earth, it serves as a geological time capsule, preserving a record of these ancient events.

While often referred to as the ‘dark side,’ the lunar far side receives similar amounts of sunlight as the near side over time. The term refers to the side that remains hidden from Earth due to tidal locking. The far side was first photographed by the Soviet Luna 3 probe in October 1959.