12 October, 2025
Web desk
In a discovery that has puzzled scientists around the world, traces of hematite an iron oxide commonly known as rust have been found on the Moon’s surface, particularly near its polar regions.
This finding is astonishing because rust typically forms when iron reacts with oxygen and water two elements that are almost nonexistent on the Moon. The presence of hematite suggests that some unexpected chemical processes might be taking place.
Researchers believe that Earth could be playing a role in this phenomenon. Oxygen from Earth’s atmosphere might be traveling to the Moon via the planet’s magnetic field, especially when the Moon passes through Earth’s magnetotail the elongated part of the magnetic field that extends away from the Sun.
Water molecules discovered on the lunar surface by previous missions may also contribute to this rusting process. When combined with oxygen and sunlight, these molecules could allow small amounts of iron to oxidize, forming hematite.
