Invaluable data can at
times be overlooked or not fully exploited when first collected. Striking
conclusions can often be drawn on the basis of a specific analysis many years
later. The Apollo 11-17 missions (1961-1972)
provided detailed information on lunar basalts which make it possible to
measure the iron grains in basalts from microphotographs of thin sections.
Analysis of the average size of these grains (D) differed as a function
of the age of these basalts dated between 3.9 and 3.4 billion years ago,
revealed that D increased 1.5 fold, therefore the gravity acceleration g decreased 1.5 fold. The intriguing conclusion can only be that the size of the
Moon increased, its mass decreased, or both these factors have changed.
References
[1]
Pilchin, A.N. and Eppelbaum, L.V. (2006) Iron and Its Unique Role in the Earth Evolution. Mexico Geoph. Society, Mexico.
[2]
Pechersky, D.M. (2012) Native Iron and Other Magnetic Minerals in Sediments: Thermomagnetic Signs of Cosmic Origin. Palmarium Academic Publishing, Saarbrücken.
[3]
Pechersky, D.M. (2015) Distribution of Native Iron Particles and Fe-Ni Alloys on Planets. Palmarium Academic Publishing, Saarbrücken.
[4]
Kramer, F.E., Twedell, D.B. and Walton, W.J.A. (1977) Apollo 11 Lunar Sample Information Catalogue (Revised). Curator’s Office, JSC 12522, Houston.
[5]
Halliday, A.N. (2012) The Origin of the Moon. Science, 338, 1040-1041.
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1229954
[6]
Schmitt, H.H. (1991) Evolution of the Moon: Apollo Model. American Mineralogist, 76, 773-784.
[7]
Dirac, P.A.M. (1938) A New Basis for Cosmology. Proceedings of the Royal Society A, 165, 199-208. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.1938.0053
[8]
Anderson, J.D., Schubert, G., Trimble, V. and Feldman, M.R. (2015) Measurements of Newton’s Gravitational Constant G and the Length of Day. Europhysics Letters, 110, Article ID: 10002. https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/110/10002
[9]
Kaula, W.M., Schubert, B., Lingenfelter, R.E., Sjogren, W.L. and Wollenhaupt, W.R. (1974) Apollo Laser Altimetry and Inferences as to Lunar Structure. Proceedings of the 5th Lunar Science Conference, 3, 3049-3058.