China's Chang'e-4 lunar rover has discovered an unusually colored, "gel-like" substance during its exploration activities on the far side of the moon.
The mission's rover, Yutu-2, stumbled on that surprise during lunar day 8. The discovery prompted scientists on the mission to postpone other driving plans for the rover, and instead focus its instruments on trying to figure out what the strange material is.
[...] So far, mission scientists haven't offered any indication as to the nature of the colored substance and have said only that it is "gel-like" and has an "unusual color." One possible explanation, outside researchers suggested, is that the substance is melt glass created from meteorites striking the surface of the moon.
Yutu-2's discovery isn't scientists' first lunar surprise, however. Apollo 17 astronaut and geologist Harrison Schmitt discovered orange-colored soil near the mission's Taurus-Littrow landing site in 1972, prompting excitement from both Schmitt and his moonwalk colleague, Gene Cernan. Lunar geologists eventually concluded that the orange soil was created during an explosive volcanic eruption 3.64 billion years ago.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Freeman on Monday September 02 2019, @04:22PM (3 children)
As in, this kind of stuff? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tektite [wikipedia.org]
How would that translate into, gel like substance, with an unusual color?
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: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 02 2019, @04:58PM
No, like this:
Apollo 11 Observations of a Remarkable Glazing Phenomenon on the Lunar Surface.
T. Gold. Science. New Series, Vol. 165, No. 3900 (Sep. 26, 1969), pp. 1345-1349. 10.1126/science.165.3900.1345
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/165/3900/1345 [sciencemag.org]
Melted glass from a cosmic impact 12,900 years ago
Ted E. Bunch, et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Jul 2012, 109 (28) E1903-E1912; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1204453109
https://www.pnas.org/content/109/28/E1903 [pnas.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 02 2019, @07:34PM (1 child)
Video of Apollo astronauts on the moon discussing the strange glassy substance they "were looking for".
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 02 2019, @07:39PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_zfMyzXqfI&t=24m56s [youtube.com]