New Study Suggests Moon is 4.51 Billion Years Old, 100 Million Years Older Due to Remelting Event 4.35 Billion Years Ago

Dec 19, 2024, 01:05 PM

Recent research indicates that the Moon may be approximately 4.51 billion years old, which is over 100 million years older than previously estimated. This new age estimate arises from a study that suggests a significant 'remelting' event occurred around 4.35 billion years ago, obscuring the Moon's true age. The findings challenge earlier assumptions based on lunar rock samples from the Apollo missions, which suggested a younger age of 4.35 billion years. The study highlights that Earth's gravitational influence may have caused this remelting, leading to a misinterpretation of the Moon's geological history. The implications of this research could reshape our understanding of the Moon's formation and its early conditions in the solar system.