![]() The team found that the globules are well consistent with being impact glasses sourced from iron-poor materials, such as pure anorthosites that are composed of plagioclase. Credit: Courtesy of Lunar and Planetary Institute, ©Science China Press Some globules are hollowed in the interior. The glass globules are black and opaque and large lithic clasts are frequently visible. ![]() Along the less than 700 meters route of Yutu-2 that was accomplished in its first 12 lunar days, at least two such globules were confirmed, and another two possible cases were awaited to be confirmed due to inadequate image resolution.īased on the color, morphology, geometry, and possible exposure ages, the team studied the origin of the globules by referring to critical cooling rates of crystallization for various lunar rocks.Ĭlast-rich glass globules collected by the Apollo 15 and 16 astronauts. The largest holohyaline globules found on the Moon are less than 1 cm, such as a globule recently collected by the Chang’E-5 mission, and they are also opaque (see image below). ![]() Centimeter-sized glassy globules have been collected by Apollo astronauts, but they are mostly dark, opaque, and clast-rich (see image below). Xiao has been studying tektite and microtektites, special distal impact glasses formed by terrestrial impact events, and microscopic glass spherules on the Moon, but they did not expect to see such translucent glass globules at the Chang’E-4 landing region. Credit: Image taken by the Yutu-2 rover courtesy of China National Space Administration) ©Science China Press Two confirmed (upper row) and two possible (bottom row) glass globules found along the route of Yutu-2.
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