Apollo missions help define Moon in 21st century

William Atkins
Saturday, 08 January 2011 01:06

Science - Space

The Apollo missions to the Moon continue to help define the core composition of the Moon as NASA scientists investigate 1969-1977 data with the use of modern 21st-century technology.

 

 

The first-ever direct detection of the Moon's core provides scientists a better idea of the formation and evolution of Earth's only natural satellite.

NASA's article 'NASA Research Team Reveals Moon Has Earth-Like Core' states, 'State-of-the-art seismological techniques applied to Apollo-era data suggest our moon has a core similar to Earth's.'

The NASA scientists used data gathered from the Apollo Passive Seismic Experiment (APSE), which consisted of four seismometers deployed by NASA astronauts between 1969 and 1972 by the Apollo manned missions to the Moon.

The APSE recorded continuous lunar seismic activity on the Moon until late-1977.

How the Moon formed and how it evolved over billions of years is of great interest to astronomers and scientists alike.

Learning more about how the Moon formed and evolved over time helps us to learn more about how Earth formed and evolved over its approximate 4.54-billion year history.

NASA states, 'Uncovering details about the lunar core is critical for developing accurate models of the moon's formation. The data sheds light on the evolution of a lunar dynamo -- a natural process by which our moon may have generated and maintained its own strong magnetic field.'

Page two continues with specific findings of the study.