These rocks are about 4.5 billion years old, indicating that parts of the Moons crust solidified soon after the Moon formed. Photographs courtesy of NASA Johnson Space Center.
How old are moon rocks compared to Earth?
Based on the age-dating technique of crater counting, the youngest basaltic eruptions are believed to have occurred about 1.2 billion years ago, but scientists do not possess samples of these lavas. In contrast, the oldest ages of rocks from the Earth are between 3.8 and 4.28 billion years old.
How do we know the exact age of moon rocks?
The ages of Earth and Moon rocks and of meteorites are measured by the decay of long-lived radioactive isotopes of elements that occur naturally in rocks and minerals and that decay with half lives of 700 million to more than 100 billion years to stable isotopes of other elements.
How do you date moon rocks?
Radioactive decay is the process whereby an atom decays to form a different element. One of the most commonly used methods for dating rocks on both the Moon and the Earth is the decay of an isotope of potassium (K) to produce an isotope of argon (Ar).
Can we survive without the moon?
Without the moon, we would see an increase in wind speeds. The moon influences life as we know it on Earth. It influences our oceans, weather, and the hours in our days. Without the moon, tides would fall, nights would be darker, seasons would change, and the length of our days would alter.
Could the moon hit the Earth?
The Moon will swing ever closer to Earth until it reaches a point 11,470 miles (18,470 kilometers) above our planet, a point termed the Roche limit. Reaching the Roche limit means that the gravity holding it [the Moon] together is weaker than the tidal forces acting to pull it apart, Willson said.
Are moon rocks illegal to own?
A lunar meteorite is a piece of the Moon. This is why many people think that owning a Moon Rock is illegal - because the Apollo samples are illegal to own by private citizens. Apollo Moon Rocks are NASA and US government property which cannot be sold or exchanged to private citizens.