Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission has uncovered evidence of an ancient ocean of liquid molten rock at the Moon's south pole, supporting the Lunar Magma Ocean theory that suggests the Moon's surface was once covered by magma 4.5 billion years ago.
The mission found remnants of ferroan anorthosite, a lighter mineral that floated to the surface as the Moon cooled, forming its initial crust. This discovery adds weight to the theory of the Moon’s early evolution.
Chandrayaan-3’s rover, Pragyaan, spent 10 days exploring the south pole, a region that had never been visited before. The mission provided valuable data that could reshape understanding of lunar history.
Using an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, the rover took 23 measurements, identifying minerals in the Moon’s soil. This technique excited atoms and analysed the energy produced, revealing the composition of the lunar surface.
The mission also found signs of a massive meteorite impact that likely created the South Pole–Aitken basin, one of the largest craters in the solar system. Scientists believe this impact exposed deeper layers of the Moon, throwing magnesium onto the surface.
India is planning a follow-up mission in 2025 or 2026, aiming to collect and return samples from the Moon’s surface. These samples could provide further insights into the Moon’s formation and history.