China’s Lunar Mission Reveals Moon’s Far Side Is Drier Than Expected

A changing discovery from China’s Chang’e-6 lunar mission has found that the moon’s far side mantle is largely drier than the near side. This is the first direct evidence of such a disparity.

The study found that the water content in rocks retrieved from the far side is less than 2 micrograms per gram, the lowest ever recorded. On the other hand, previous studies on samples from the near side reported up to 200 micrograms per gram.

The samples give new insights into the moon’s formation and inside structure. According to researchers, this finding could reshape long-standing theories about the moon’s origin and evolution.