SMRTR Science & EngineeringJan 13, 2026Nautilus

An Asteroid Impact May Explain Our Lopsided Moon

SMRTR summary

China's Chang'e-6 mission collected the first samples from the moon's far side, revealing heavy potassium isotopes that support the theory of a massive asteroid impact creating the moon's lopsided structure. The collision likely boiled the moon's interior, redistributing materials and explaining why the near side has a thinner crust with volcanic plains.

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