Scientists may have discovered the oldest Earth rock ever—on the Moon. A lunar sample returned by the Apollo 14 astronauts may contain a bit of Earth from about 4 billion years ago. The research about this possible relic from the Hadean Earth is published today in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters.
An international team of scientists associated with the Center for Lunar Science and Exploration (CLSE), part of NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, found evidence that the rock was launched from Earth by a large impacting asteroid or comet. This impact jettisoned material through Earth's primitive atmosphere, into space, where it collided with the surface of the Moon (which was three times closer to Earth than it is now) about 4 billion years ago. The rock was subsequently mixed with other lunar surface materials into one sample.
NASA: Earth's Oldest Rock Found on the Moon
Also at Fox News: Moon discovery: Ancient 4-billion-year-old relic found on lunar surface
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 31 2019, @12:32PM (5 children)
Is it possible one of the time traveling Trump family members placed this rock so it would be found while Don is prez?
(Score: 3, Funny) by Runaway1956 on Thursday January 31 2019, @03:40PM (4 children)
You're being ridiculous: everyone knows that time travel is impossible.
Blame it on Aristarchus. He's old enough to have left it there after a family picnic.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 31 2019, @06:24PM (3 children)
I have seen the future:
It's Donald Trump for 6 more years until 2024, then Ivana Trump 2024-2032. Next Donald Trump Jr. in 2032-2040, and Eric Trump in 2040-2048. Finally Barron Trump in 2048-2056.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Thursday January 31 2019, @07:26PM (2 children)
That wasn't the future you were seeing, it was a nightmare. The idea of a dynasty such as you describe is more appalling to me than a Hillary Clinton presidency. There probably ought to be an amendment preventing any such dynasty from happening. It would be a bitch trying to write it though. How to cover all the bases, without leaving loopholes, and at the same time not being overly restrictive?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 31 2019, @07:40PM
Yea, I always vote against dynasties. People seem to love them for some reason though...
(Score: 1) by khallow on Friday February 01 2019, @02:50AM
If people are willing to vote for that many Trumps in a row, then so be it.
(Score: 0, Troll) by Bot on Thursday January 31 2019, @12:34PM (7 children)
Internet troll asks: Soooo, how much earth is in those 'moon' rock samples?
(please refrain from citing proof of stuff put on the moon by man, what is disputed is whether men went on the moon, that is, why the Chinese in the 21st century cannot emulate a NASA mission in the 1960 and go with a man instead of doing all by bots. And, why the NASA has no clue how it did it the first time around)
Account abandoned.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Thursday January 31 2019, @04:37PM (4 children)
I wouldn't put a hoax of this nature past the USA, but in this case it's legit. My simple rebuttal to anybody doubting the moon landings is this:
Why didn't Soviets say anything? They had the technology to track the rockets (or lack of), to listen in on radio communication (or lack thereof) between the rockets and the ground and doubtless had all sorts of other info from their espionage activities. Basically, if there was any reason to doubt the veracity of the moon landings, the soviets would have had evidence and you can bet your last space-dollar that they would have used it to discredit the USA if they could have. This was the height of the cold war. They would have loved the opportunity to cry foul, but they didn't.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 31 2019, @04:47PM
You are clearly unfamiliar with the topic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_15 [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 31 2019, @09:53PM
Soviet sent animals around the moon. Did USA, before the Apollo 8? Or did we rely on their findings?
(Score: 1) by khallow on Friday February 01 2019, @02:52AM
The Freemasons scared them into submission, duh.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Friday February 01 2019, @10:49AM
that is a really good question. Why russkies preferred unmanned missions to the moon and shut up about america?
but, if you think about it for a moment...
- no, Ivan Ivanovski, this request from USSR is completely unacceptable under any circumstance!
- will you let me speak with your President? you are probably not cleared up enough.
- WTF? OK, use the secure line (offers the red phone)
- 'hello prez? yeah ivan here. Just to inform you that we are releasing those studio photos outtakes if we don't get our way with this, yeah we're that desperate, OK, it's settled then'
- WTF? do you have naughty photos of the President?
- we have something way bigger. As big as the moon.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Freeman on Thursday January 31 2019, @04:42PM (1 child)
NASA knows how they did it the first time around. A lot of very smart, brave, risk takers. While we may still have the first two of those, there's not that many in the latter category. Especially where the government is concerned.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 31 2019, @06:03PM
Risk taking and brave are kinda synonymous, though the 2nd requires some reason for the risk taking. Are you a boomer? Are you just trying to feel relevant and special in a changing world?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 31 2019, @02:34PM
Just think. Only a few thousand years ago, our ancestors communicated with primitive grunts.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 31 2019, @03:29PM (1 child)
'Moon rock' given to Holland by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin is fake [telegraph.co.uk], this rock may really have come from the moon after all.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Thursday January 31 2019, @03:54PM
So, uhhh, could they get a DNA sample from the rock, to see just who the wood came from?