Scientists have discovered a lot about what's inside the Moon, and it's pretty fascinating. Beneath its dusty surface lies a solid inner core, surrounded by a liquid outer core, just like Earth. But here's where it gets interesting: unlike our planet, the Moon doesn't have a magnetic field to protect it from solar radiation, which explains why it's so barren and lifeless. Another cool fact is that the Moon is slowly drifting away from Earth at a rate of about 3.8 centimeters per year. And get this: there are over 400,000 pounds of human-made trash left behind on the Moon from various missions! And did you know that the Moon is about 4.5 billion years old? Animation is created by Bright Side.
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FunTranscript
00:00 Okay, I officially give up on the hope that the Moon is made of cheese after all.
00:06 Wow, not even Gouda.
00:07 The shiny lunar ball, or a curved banana, or half of a coin depending on what phase
00:13 it's in, has different layers inside, just like Earth.
00:16 One of these layers is called the inner core.
00:19 About 20 years ago, scientists were observing how the Moon rotates.
00:24 Using that data, they concluded that it had a fluid outer core.
00:28 But the inner core was hard to study, so they didn't know if it was solid like a rock
00:32 or molten like a hot liquid.
00:34 But things are clearer now.
00:37 Astronomers have collected data from different missions, including the Apollo missions, where
00:42 astronauts went to the Moon and gathered information themselves.
00:45 Plus, they've used a special technique called seismic data.
00:49 This method is all about studying how sound waves move through things.
00:53 Take earthquakes on our planet as an example.
00:56 When an earthquake happens, it creates waves that travel through the ground.
01:01 Scientists can detect and analyze these waves to learn more about Earth's interior.
01:05 The same idea can apply to other objects in our solar system, or planets, or in this case,
01:10 the Moon.
01:12 When quakes, or moonquakes, happen, they generate sound waves.
01:16 And by carefully listening to and studying these waves, scientists can create a detailed
01:21 map of what's inside the object.
01:24 They can figure out things like different layers, what they're made of, and how they're
01:28 arranged.
01:29 To check the Moon's deep interior, scientists also use something called laser ranging.
01:35 This method measures the distance between the surface of the Earth and the Moon very
01:39 precisely.
01:40 And ta-da!
01:42 Our natural satellite's inner core is a dense, solid ball made of iron, just like Earth's.
01:48 It's about 310 miles wide, which is nearly 15% the size of the entire Moon.
01:54 Researchers also have stumbled upon evidence that supports the theory that the layer between
01:58 the Moon's surface and its core, called the mantle, has been moving around as the Moon
02:04 evolved over time.
02:06 This movement is something we call lunar mantle overturn, and it could explain why we find
02:11 elements rich in iron on the lunar surface.
02:15 Some material ends up being carried upward, and the volcanic rock remains in the Moon's
02:20 crust.
02:22 Some of the materials in this rock were too dense, like me, so they just sank back through
02:27 the lighter crust material all the way to the core-mantle boundary.
02:32 It's like a cycle where the Moon's mantle material goes up during volcanic activity,
02:37 carries iron-rich elements to the surface, and then sinks back down.
02:42 There's another mystery scientists have been trying to solve – what caused the Moon's
02:47 magnetic field to weaken and nearly disappear over time?
02:50 It seems that now that we know about the iron core and the global mantle overturn, we might
02:56 get some more answers about the Moon's magnetic field.
02:59 Knowing what the inner core is like can help us better understand the Moon's history
03:03 as well as the history of our entire solar system.
03:08 One of the theories that's widely accepted about the origin of the Moon says there was
03:12 a massive collision between Earth in its early stages and another mysterious object in our
03:17 solar system.
03:18 It's called the Large Impact Theory, and this collision was so strong it ripped off
03:23 a big chunk of the primitive molten Earth.
03:26 I mean, not so big compared to what's left – if you put a US nickel next to a green
03:31 pea, you'd get a good idea of how big our planet is compared to the Moon.
03:36 This chunk was set into orbit around our planet.
03:39 And this might've happened about 95 million years after our solar system formed.
03:46 The object that collided with Earth could've been about 10% the mass of our home planet
03:51 and roughly the size of Mars.
03:52 Well, it makes sense – Earth and the Moon do have similar compositions, after all.
03:58 Of course, there are other ideas about how the Moon formed.
04:02 One says that the gravitational force of our planet captured it.
04:07 This means that the Moon was just an object innocently passing by when suddenly it got
04:12 attracted and pulled into Earth's orbit.
04:14 There's even a hypothesis that Earth stole the Moon from Venus.
04:19 In that case, the Moon shouldn't complain.
04:22 I guess the view is way better here.
04:24 So yeah, the Moon and Earth are similar when it comes to rocks and some minerals.
04:29 But the Moon doesn't have the same atmosphere as our planet.
04:32 Its atmosphere is thin and consists of some weird gases that include potassium and sodium,
04:38 which is not something you can find in the atmosphere of Mars, Venus, or Earth.
04:43 And the rocks on the Moon don't contain water.
04:45 But that doesn't mean there's no water at all up there.
04:49 A long time ago, in the 17th century, astronomers saw large dark spots on the Moon's surface.
04:55 One of these astronomers thought these spots looked like oceans, and he called them "Maria,"
05:00 which means "seas" in Latin.
05:03 Other astronomers also made maps of the Moon, and they used the term "Maria" to describe
05:07 these dark spots.
05:09 For example, Mare Tranquillitatis translates to "Sea of Tranquility," where Apollo 11
05:15 made its touchdown.
05:17 But it seems those dark spots are not actually oceans.
05:20 They are plains made of hardened lava that erupted long ago.
05:25 These volcanic eruptions left behind smooth, flat areas called basalt plains.
05:30 In the late 1800s, one sky watcher studied the Moon and found it didn't have an atmosphere.
05:37 Without an atmosphere, there are no clouds and no air to keep water from evaporating.
05:43 So scientists thought that any water on the Moon would just disappear right away.
05:47 They believe the Moon was totally dry.
05:50 "It's dark outside, almost 2am.
05:53 You go outside and look at the sky, and here it is.
05:56 Bright, full Moon.
05:58 You might think you know a lot about Earth's natural satellite, but let me ask you this.
06:03 How did it form?"
06:05 The answer is, nobody knows.
06:08 But of course, there are theories.
06:10 The most popular one, called the Giant Impact Theory, claims that the Moon formed during
06:15 a collision between Earth and another planet.
06:18 This planet must have been smaller than ours, the size of Mars, and the collision itself
06:23 probably happened around 4.5 billion years ago.
06:27 Another theory, called the Capture Theory, claims that the Moon used to be an asteroid
06:32 or some other wandering body.
06:35 It formed somewhere else in the solar system.
06:37 When it was passing by Earth, it got caught by our planet's gravity.
06:41 But here is one catch.
06:43 Our planet and the Moon have remarkable isotopic and chemical similarities.
06:48 So they must have a linked history, which means the Moon couldn't have been created
06:52 elsewhere.
06:55 Other experts think that at some point in the past, Earth was spinning so fast that
06:59 some of its material broke away.
07:02 It soon started to orbit our planet.
07:04 That's how the Moon appeared in the sky.
07:06 But again, there's one problem.
07:08 In this case, the proportion and type of minerals on the Moon would have to be the same as on
07:13 Earth.
07:14 But there are slight differences.
07:16 The Moon is richer in materials that form very fast at high temperatures.
07:21 There's one more theory, and it's probably the least exciting.
07:25 It claims that Earth's natural satellite could simply appear along with Earth during
07:30 our planet's formation.
07:32 Duh!
07:33 But these days, a more urgent question keeps astronomers busy.
07:37 Is the Moon really Earth's satellite?
07:40 Or are these two twin planets?
07:43 The Moon is big compared to our planet, about one-quarter of Earth's size.
07:48 That's why some experts refer to our planetary system as a "double planet."
07:53 But how correct is that?
07:56 If we want to figure it out, we need to give the definition to the word "planet."
08:01 According to the International Astronomical Union, a planet is a space body that orbits
08:06 the Sun, is massive enough to have a nearly round shape thanks to its gravity, and has
08:11 cleared the region around its orbit.
08:14 Now, what about a satellite?
08:17 It's an object in space that orbits around a larger celestial body.
08:22 If we take the system Earth-the Moon, its center of gravity, called a "berry center,"
08:27 is inside the Earth.
08:29 That's why at the moment we can't say that we live in a twin planet system.
08:33 According to this definition, the Moon is the satellite of our planet.
08:37 Now, let's get back to the past, like three or four billion years ago.
08:43 Even though the Moon wasn't a planet, it most likely had a full-fledged atmosphere.
08:48 It formed at times when powerful volcanic eruptions were rocking our satellite.
08:53 Gases spread all over the Moon's surface, and it happened so fast that they didn't
08:57 have enough time to escape into space.
09:01 At that time, the lunar surface was covered with basins filled with volcanic basalt.
09:07 Just imagine ginormous plumes of magma hurtling high into the air, falling to the ground and
09:12 creating lava flows.
09:14 That's how the basalt basins appeared on the surface of the Moon.
09:19 At one point, scientists got their hands on samples brought from the Moon.
09:23 They found out that lava flows there contained not only carbon monoxide and sulfur, but also
09:29 the building blocks of water.
09:32 Thanks to these samples, researchers managed to calculate the amount of gas that rose and
09:37 formed the atmosphere.
09:38 It became the thickest around 3.5 billion years ago and existed for about 70 million
09:44 years.
09:46 After that, poof, the atmosphere was lost in space.
09:51 But the coolest thing?
09:53 When the Moon did have an atmosphere, the satellite was 3 to 10 times closer to our
09:58 planet.
09:59 One computer simulation even suggests the Moon was probably up to 19 times closer than
10:04 it is now.
10:06 The distance between it and our planet could be 18,600 miles.
10:12 While these days, our satellite is around 240,000 miles away.
10:17 That's why the Moon looked much, much bigger in the sky.
10:20 Unfortunately, at that time, not even dinos were around to admire the view.
10:26 These days, the atmosphere of the Moon is almost non-existent, and that's why the satellite
10:31 can't protect itself from meteorites.
10:34 The surface of the Moon is dotted with craters.
10:37 For comparison, there are about 190 identified impact craters on our planet.
10:43 Many of them are hidden by vegetation or covered with water.
10:47 But if we speak about the Moon, the number is so much greater, several million, and around
10:53 5,000 of them are more than 12 miles across.
10:57 And since the Moon is less seismically active than Earth, these craters and other ancient
11:02 formations stay in perfect condition for centuries.
11:07 When you look at the Moon, it's the brightest object in the night sky.
11:11 But in reality, its surface is dark because the reflectance of our natural satellite is
11:16 just a bit higher than that of asphalt.
11:20 Back when Apollo missions were launched, astronauts returning from the Moon claimed that Moon
11:24 dust, the gray sand-like dust covering much of the satellite's surface, smelled and
11:29 tasted (yes, they actually tasted it) like gunpowder.
11:33 But the stuff Moon dust is made of is nothing like gunpowder.
11:37 About half of its composition is silicon dioxide glass from impacts with meteorites.
11:42 They hit the surface of the Moon at incredible speeds.
11:46 The high temperature makes the topsoil fuse into glass, and the impact shatters it right
11:51 afterwards, creating the gray and clingy dust.
11:54 The rest of Moon dust's ingredients are minerals such as iron, calcium, and magnesium,
12:00 while old-fashioned gunpowder consists mainly of saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur.
12:05 In other words, Moon dust shouldn't smell like gunpowder, but it does.
12:10 Besides, when astronauts brought samples of it back to Earth, there was no smell left
12:15 at all.
12:16 One explanation could be that the Moon is similar, in a way, to Earth's sand deserts
12:21 like the Sahara.
12:22 It's extremely dry and arid.
12:24 When you sniff the air in a desert, you don't smell anything.
12:28 But if you get caught in the rain there, the moisture will raise all kinds of odors from
12:32 the ground that were previously trapped in the dry sand.
12:36 With Moon dust, it might be similar.
12:38 While on the surface of the Moon, it doesn't smell at all.
12:41 Not that the astronauts could sniff at it wearing their spacesuits, though.
12:45 But when brought back inside the landing module, the dust came into contact with moisture in
12:50 the air and started emitting its strange odor.
12:53 Another reason for this could be a reaction of Moon dust to the solar wind.
12:58 Ionized particles from the Sun hit the bare surface of the Moon and stay there.
13:02 There's no thick atmosphere to protect it from those ions, so they travel freely right
13:07 to the ground.
13:08 They're very lightweight, so they can fly off and sort of evaporate from the slightest
13:12 of nudges.
13:14 And when astronauts took the Moon dust samples to the landing module, those particles could
13:19 have started moving around and giving off the specific smell.
13:23 This might also explain why the samples didn't keep their odor when brought back to Earth.
13:28 Since the particles are so light, they might have flown off the samples already in the
13:32 landing module.
13:33 And when they were placed in airtight containers, there were little or no ions left on them.
13:39 Another explanation is that those airtight containers weren't so airtight after all.
13:44 Moon dust is basically very small crystals with extremely sharp edges.
13:48 They unexpectedly made tiny cuts in the seals, letting in air and moisture, and so the ionized
13:54 particles leaked out of the containers.
13:57 Scientists believe they should study Moon dust on the surface of the Moon itself to
14:00 find out everything about its properties.
14:04 There are hundreds of thousands of craters on the surface of the Moon made by falling
14:08 asteroids, but one of them drew a lot of attention.
14:11 It turned out to not be just an impact crater, but a tube, looking most like an entrance
14:17 to a cave system.
14:19 Scientists found a specific echo pattern that suggested there was a hollow area beneath.
14:24 They discovered more echo patterns at a couple of places near the hole, so there could be
14:28 more lunar tubes there.
14:30 But in this big tube, you could place an entire football field.
14:35 Researchers believe there could be an entire geological wonderland under the surface.
14:39 It could be a good shelter for astronauts landing on the Moon, or even be a harbor for
14:44 a lunar colony.
14:46 No one ever managed to stay on the Moon for more than 3 days because of the conditions
14:50 on the satellite.
14:51 Wide range of temperatures, low atmosphere, no magnetic field would protect life on the
14:56 surface from things like radiation or solar wind.
15:00 Astronauts wear spacesuits.
15:01 They can't protect them over long periods of time, but a lava tube could.
15:06 When a lava flow cools, it gets a hard crust, which later thickens and creates a roof over
15:12 that same lava.
15:13 It continues to flow, but when it stops, the channel can drain, and that's how an
15:18 empty tube appears.
15:20 Our planet also has lava tubes, but they're not as big as the one found on the Moon.
15:25 Back in 1178, I wasn't around then, at least 5 people in England claimed they had seen
15:31 the Moon split into two from its upper tip.
15:34 It was in the shape of a crescent at the time of the event.
15:37 When the crack widened, fire started blazing from it, which the single monk who chronicled
15:42 it described it as a flaming torch spraying up, spewing out fire, hot coals, and sparks.
15:49 Then the Moon started shifting around and pulsating, but soon stopped and turned a slightly
15:54 darker shade.
15:55 The event didn't receive much attention from scientists, though, until the second
15:59 half of the 20th century.
16:01 Researchers studied the chronicle and figured out there was a huge, 14-mile-wide crater
16:06 on the surface of the Moon at about the spot described in the book.
16:10 Only a very large asteroid could've left such a scar on the satellite's face.
16:15 And when they investigated it more closely, they found out it was pretty recent by astronomical
16:20 standards.
16:21 In fact, it really could've appeared about 800 years ago.
16:25 But in that case, millions of fragments from the asteroid and the Moon would've hit the
16:30 Earth as well.
16:31 And then people would've seen an incredible meteor shower.
16:35 It would've been very bright, and the memories of it would've definitely been in the archives.
16:40 But that didn't happen.
16:41 In addition, many scientists argue that the crater isn't as young as it might seem.
16:46 The most popular and justified theory is that it's about 1-10 million years old.
16:52 If it had appeared as recently as 800 years ago, parts of the surface of the Moon in and
16:57 around the crater would still have been warm from the impact.
17:01 The most likely explanation of what really happened back in 1178 is that observers were
17:07 extremely lucky to see an asteroid falling towards the Earth and burning in our planet's
17:12 atmosphere.
17:13 The spectacle would've been incredible, and seen from a proper angle, the burst of
17:17 the asteroid could've really looked like it was the Moon exploding.
17:21 That would explain why there were so few witnesses of the phenomenon.
17:25 That's it for today!
17:26 So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your
17:30 friends!
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