New study reveals the moon's true age, which is much older than previously thought.

According to a group of astronomers from the University of California, the moon may not be as young as it appears. Recent studies have proposed that the moon could be 4.51 billion years old, rather than the previously accepted age of 4.35 billion years. This new revelation has sparked a wave of interest and raised questions about the moon's true origins.

For years, it has been widely believed that the moon was created as a result of a massive collision between Earth and a protoplanet, roughly the size of Mars. This catastrophic event is said to have triggered the moon's formation and set it on its current path around our planet.

However, the latest research suggests that there may be more to the story. It is now proposed that after the collision, the moon's surface was a blazing ocean of molten rock. As time passed and the temperature dropped, this molten rock began to solidify, eventually forming the moon we know today.

But here's where things get interesting. The new theory suggests that around 4.35 billion years ago, the moon's surface underwent a process known as "remelting." This would have caused the surface to appear much younger than it actually is, masking the true sediment below.

The report explains that the moon experienced intense heat and melting due to tidal forces, which essentially reset the formation ages of most lunar samples. However, this process did not alter the internal structure of the moon, allowing for the preservation of earlier-formed minerals, such as zircons.

This means that while the surface of the moon may appear to be around 4.35 billion years old, the interior could in fact be much older. This "remelting" process could also explain why there is a lack of impact craters on the moon's surface. As the molten rock smoothed out the surface, any evidence of past collisions would have been erased.

The new research offers a fresh perspective on the moon's history and raises further questions about its formation. As scientists continue to uncover more about our closest celestial neighbor, one thing is for sure - the moon holds many secrets waiting to be discovered.

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