China found a gel on the dark side of the Moon: what is it?

The discovery occurred at the end of July, according to Space.com, just when that robotic vehicle was preparing to rest and recharge. It was then that Yu Tianyi, one of the scientists, found an unusual element inside a small crater captured by the Yutu-2 camera.

China's space agency itself described that substance as a gel with a mysterious shine and color. The researchers used techniques to determine the chemical composition of that element and studied it closely, although at the moment the results were not revealed.

Speculation

Without more official data regarding this finding, conjectures circulate in the scientific scene. According to the review of the Technology Review site, one of the most plausible theories is that it is not specifically a gel and is a rock turned into glass by the impact of a meteorite on the lunar surface.

Following the source, strange materials are not a novelty on the Moon. Already in 1972, Apollo 17 astronauts found orange earth. At that time it was concluded that it emerged after a volcanic eruption that occurred more than 3.6 billion years ago.

The Chinese-led Chang’e-4 mission is the first to investigate the dark side of the Moon. It was released in December 2018 and landed on January 3, 2019.

"The hidden face of the moon has very special characteristics and has never been explored in situ, so Chang'e 4 (the probe that explores the terrain) could bring us great discoveries," said the director of the lunar exploration department and from the sidereal space of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Zou Yongliao.