The Chinese rover Yutu-2 has discovered enigmatic glass spheres on the opposite side of the moon. The discovery was detailed in a study published in Science Bulletin. ‘Collectively, the peculiar morphology, geometry, and local context of the glass globules are consistent with being anorthositic impact glasses’, the researchers wrote.
According to a source, the enigmatic glass spheres may have included valuable information about the Moon’s composition and history of impact occurrences. The Chinese rover Yutu-2 was only supposed to be on the lunar surface for three months. However, it currently retains the record of being the Moon’s longest-running functioning rover.
Yutu-2 became the first rover to reach the far side of the Moon when it landed on the lunar surface in January 2019. Since then, it has provided information on the side of the planet that one cannot view from Earth.
On the lunar surface, there is a lot of silicate material, and strong heat may transform it into a glass. Volcanic eruptions have occurred on the Moon in the past. However, even today, smaller objects such as meteorites emit enough heat to melt glass.
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According to the study, the spheres found on the far side are translucent rather than entirely transparent. They exhibit the same vitreous shine as quartz or topaz on Earth and were discovered alongside new impact craters, indicating that meteorite collisions were the origin of development.
The spheres are thought to have originated long ago during volcanic eruptions on the Moon. It was discovered following a recent meteorite collision. They dissolved and reconstituted themselves into transparent globules. If this is the case, there are likely to be many more similar spheres on the lunar surface whose composition may be investigated.
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