A news which is making headlines recently is scientists have found that the moon is rusting. Few images sent by Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Chandrayaan 1 orbiter which is India's first mission to the moon, show that the moon may be rusting along the poles.
As per the scientists, this is a surprising discovery which is also known as iron oxide; it is a reddish compound that forms when the iron is exposed to water and oxygen, and the moon's surface is not known for the presence of water and oxygen.
Recently, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said, "ISRO's maiden mission to the Moon has sent images which show that the Moon may be rusting along the poles. The sign of this finding is that even though the surface of the Moon is known to have iron-rich rocks, it is not known for the presence of water and oxygen, which are the two elements needed to interact with iron to create rust."
Usually, the formation of rust is attributed to the presence of water and oxygen when in contact with iron but here scientists propose that fast-moving dust particles might initiate the release of surface borne water molecules, thus allowing water to mix with iron, Times Now reported.
Though the Moon lacks atmosphere to support the formation of oxygen, it hosts traces of oxygen that travels from Earth to reach the lunar environment, Times Now further reported.
Meanwhile, NASA blog post read as "While our Moon is airless, research indicates the presence of hematite, a form of rust that normally requires oxygen and water. That has scientists puzzled."
"A new paper in Science Advances reviews data from the Indian Space Research Organization's Chandrayaan-1 orbiter, which discovered water ice and mapped out a variety of minerals while surveying the Moon's surface in 2008. Lead author Shuai Li of the University of Hawaii has studied that water extensively in data from Chandrayaan-1's Moon Mineralogy Mapper instrument, or M3, which was built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. Water interacts with rock to produce a diversity of minerals, and M3 detected spectra – or light reflected off surfaces – that revealed the Moon's poles had a very different composition than the rest of it." the post further read.
However, NASA scientists state that the rust on the moon could be because Earth is driving the formation of hematite, a form of rust that normally requires oxygen and water.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, as for Chandrayaan-3 is concerned, the launch may now take place somewhere in early 2021. Chandrayaan-3 will be a mission repeat of Chandrayaan-2 and will include a Lander & Rover similar to that of Chandrayaan-2, but will not have an orbiter: Space Dept
— ANI (@ANI) September 6, 2020
Images sent by #ISRO mission Chandrayaan-1 indicate possible impact of Earth's atmosphere on the Moon. World's leading Space institution NASA takes note of this finding. pic.twitter.com/NkKKHAOuk0
— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) September 6, 2020
Our Moon is rusting. Using data from a @NASAJPL instrument aboard @ISRO's Chandrayaan-1 orbiter, scientists were surprised to find evidence of a form of iron oxide, or rust, produced when iron is exposed to oxygen and water: https://t.co/gxupT31bFI pic.twitter.com/mPoRPhjWoF
— NASA (@NASA) September 6, 2020
However, it had the opposite effect since hydrogen is a reducer—which donates electrons instead of taking it. Therefore, solar winds may not be the reason behind rusting on the Moon’s surface.
(Image credit: @NASA) pic.twitter.com/VkQwg26oGP
— The Weather Channel India (@weatherindia) September 7, 2020
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