A strange, gel-like substance found on the surface of the moon by China’s Yutu-2 rover has been identified by scientists.
The substance, which was a dark greenish color and glistened, was discovered on the far side of the moon in July last year.
It was first noticed by Yu Tianyi, who works on the drive team. He saw it at the edge of the impact crater and contacted mission scientists, who then decided to reroute the rover to investigate further. According to Chinese language publication Our Space, the substance was very different from the surrounding soil.
….“The dark greenish and shiny features observed from Pancam color image are signs of possible presence of glasses,” they wrote. “Glasses in the lunar regolith are usually sourced from impact melts or from volcanic eruptions.” As volcanic activity in the region stopped over three billion years ago, the researchers said that is unlikely to be the source.
Instead, they say the gel likely formed as a result of an impact, made up of a mix of minerals. The main component was plagioclase, which is a major constituent in both Earth and the moon’s crust. It also contained iron-magnesium silicate minerals olivine and pyroxene.
https://www.newsweek.com/china-moon-gel-substance-1516209