At some point during our high school years, we all were taught the main components of the Moon: crust, mantle, and core. A recent study has determined that there might be something else inside the Moon—and that something is moving around inside that big ball of rock and metal.
Scientists at NASA and the University of Arizona identified a layer of “Moon goo,” as some are calling it, shuffling within the Moon, reminiscent of an ocean’s tides. They believe its motion is due to the gravitational pull of the sun, Earth, and Moon. According to the study, which was published in the journal AGU Advances, this is the “first measurement of the Moon’s yearly gravity changes due to tides.”
Using data from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, researchers studied the annual and monthly tidal movements of the celestial body. This was the first time ever doing so regarding the Moon.
Challenging our previous understanding of lunar geology, scientists can now safely assume that there is a softer layer beneath the crust. What makes the idea of a “goo” layer even more intriguing is that because the layer can stay soft—and not harden—there has to be something heating it to the point where it’s able to remain gooey.
“The existence and maintenance of such a zone, often explained with the existence of partial melt, has implications for our knowledge of the Moon’s thermal state and evolution,” the study concluded.
More research will likely be done on this newly-realized layer, and over time, more and more will be understood about what the heck is moving inside the Moon.
The post ‘Moon Goo’ Is Shifting Under the Moon’s Surface appeared first on VICE.
The post ‘Moon Goo’ Is Shifting Under the Moon’s Surface appeared first on VICE.
