Unraveling the mystery of the moon’s south pole

Scientists have uncovered new information about the Moon’s South Pole, long considered one of the most mysterious and unexplored regions in the solar system, largely due to its perpetual darkness. New research from the University of Arizona suggests that the vast Aitken Basin at the South Pole was formed by an asteroid impact coming from the north, contradicting the long-held belief that the impact originated from the south. This strike was so powerful that it reached the Moon’s deep magma ocean, causing radioactive elements like potassium, rare earth elements, and phosphorus, which had sunk to the magma ocean’s final layer, to be scattered unevenly throughout the basin. This discovery is changing the way scientists view the early history of the Moon.

Source: Based on reporting from Prothom Alo