New research sheds light on the patterns on the Moon’s surface
The Moon’s plains have swirling patterns of light and dark, but it’s been unclear until now whether these are patterns in the dust or if they reflect the topography of the landscape.
Previously it was thought the colour changes were created by the solar wind reacting to magnetic fields within the rock. However, a new study has shown that in two swirl regions of Mare Ingenii the dark areas are higher in elevation, while the lighter streaks are lower.
“This correlation argues that there is more than just shielding from space weathering that goes into their creation,” says Deborah Domingue Lorin from the Planetary Science Institute. “The question becomes about how much we understand the processing of the lunar surface and the migration of fine-grained materials. If we are going to have long-term installations on the Moon’s surface, how do we protect against issues that fine-grained dust present to robots, habitats, space suits and machinery… and the health and safety of humans on the surface for long durations?”