Moon “rusting” due to oxygen particles from Earth’s atmosphere, study finds

The Moon appears to be rusting due to oxygen particles originating from Earth’s atmosphere, according to new scientific research published in Nature.

Oxygen particles transported from Earth’s atmosphere reach the Moon and convert lunar minerals into hematite, commonly known as rust, the study found.

“This discovery reveals how deeply interconnected Earth and the Moon are and how the Moon is affected by these interactions,” said Ziliang Jin, a planetary scientist at the University of Science and Technology of Macau in China.

Earth’s atmospheric particles create lunar rust

Jin and his research team published their findings in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

Both Earth and the Moon are normally bombarded by charged solar particles. However, for five days each month, Earth positions itself between the Sun and Moon, blocking most solar particles.

During this period, the Moon becomes exposed to what scientists call “terrestrial wind” – particles originating from Earth’s atmosphere including hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen ions.

Five-day monthly process exposes Moon to “terrestrial wind”

When these particles strike the lunar surface, they embed themselves in the upper layers and cause chemical reactions.

The research documents how atmospheric particles from Earth directly influence the Moon’s surface composition through this monthly process.