The Moon is Rusting - Thanks To 'Wind' Blown All the Way From Earth (nature.com) 20
The Moon is rusting -- and it's Earth's fault. Nature: Scientists have found that oxygen particles blown from Earth to the Moon can turn lunar minerals into hematite, also known as rust. The discovery adds to researchers' growing understanding of the deep interconnection between Earth and the Moon -- and shows how the Moon keeps a geological record of those interactions, says Ziliang Jin, a planetary scientist at Macau University of Science and Technology in China. He and his colleagues reported their findings earlier this month in Geophysical Research Letters.
Most of the time, both Earth and the Moon are bathed in a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun. But for around five days each month, Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, blocking most of the flood of solar particles. During that time, the Moon is exposed mainly to particles that had been part of Earth's atmosphere before blowing into space -- a phenomenon known as Earth wind. That wind contains ions of various elements, including hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. When those charged particles hit the Moon, they can implant themselves into the upper layers of lunar soil and trigger chemical reactions.
Most of the time, both Earth and the Moon are bathed in a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun. But for around five days each month, Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, blocking most of the flood of solar particles. During that time, the Moon is exposed mainly to particles that had been part of Earth's atmosphere before blowing into space -- a phenomenon known as Earth wind. That wind contains ions of various elements, including hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. When those charged particles hit the Moon, they can implant themselves into the upper layers of lunar soil and trigger chemical reactions.
Re: Microplastics also? (Score:1, Flamebait)
We're already living the real life Idiocracy. Trump will be sending Gatorade soon to turn this devastation around. Right after the forest rake crew is done cleaning the under brush.
Re: (Score:2)
During that time, the Moon is exposed mainly to particles that had been part of Earth's atmosphere before blowing into space -- a phenomenon known as Earth wind.
So for a few days every year we need to get enough people to spritz a bit of WD40 into the air, which will get carried to the moon and protect it from rusting. Simple.
Hematite vs Rust (Score:5, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
You're right, and on top of that, we usually don't call hematite "rust" colloquially. We either call it hematite, or we call it a rock. If it's not crumbly and at least reddish people don't usually call it rust.
Re: (Score:1)
The BB-sized metal spheres found by the Opportunity Mars rover are hematite. [wikipedia.org]
Re: Hematite vs Rust (Score:1)
Earth wind (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Earth wind (Score:5, Funny)
That would be Earth, Wind, and Fire.
Re: (Score:2)
Rust evangelism has gone too far (Score:5, Funny)
Happens more in the fall (Score:3)
Because of our planet's axial tilt, and the updrafts from burning trees in the northern hemisphere.
But that's not news. We've known for decades that Earth Wind & Fire are most prominent in September.
So how long until earths atmosphere is gone? (Score:2)
It canâ(TM)t be replenished can it?
Re: (Score:2)
Could life spread in a similar way? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3)
That is exactly what the panspermia hypothesis [sciencedirect.com] postulates, though it proposes that live cells is what spreads, not just precursors (prebiotic molecules).
Once famous proponent was Nobel laureate Francis Crick of DNA spiral fame.
You're one of today's (Score:2)
lucky 10,000! [xkcd.com]
Time to go down the Panspermia [wikipedia.org] rabbit hole!
Far side of the moon (Score:2)
This means that the far side of the moon is more important than ever - being shielded from ionized particles originating on Earth.
Couldn't Find The Fire? (Score:2)
A day late and a dollar short.
It makes sense (Score:2)
...given that (for example, this cool video) Mercury is emitting a comet-tail of sodium ions for millions of km as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
It's pretty reasonable that ANY planet has a comparable 'tail' of whatever gasses/solids that can be easily knocked atomically from their atmosphere/surface, at whatever solar energies reach them, including earth spattering the moon with water vapor.