What are the ethics of mining the Moon? Could humans cause environmental damage to Earth’s only satellite? And could a new Declaration of the Rights of the Moon be one way of mitigating those impacts?
Moon
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Moon’s Largest Crater Holds Clues About Early Lunar Mantle
An ancient impact splashed evidence of the Moon’s early mantle makeup onto its surface. Now researchers are piecing together models, maps, and samples to bring these mysteries to light.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
The Tumbling Boulders of Orientale Basin
Mapping boulder fields and boulder tracks highlights the seismic hazard still present on the Moon.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Moon May Hold Billions of Tons of Subterranean Ice at Its Poles
By modeling over 4 billion years of the Moon’s impact history, scientists estimate that the lunar poles may harbor billions of metric tons of subsurface ice.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
A Clearer Look at Lunar Surface Hydration
Independent ground-based observations of the Moon confirm prior spacecraft observations that hydration at the lunar surface varies with temperature.
Posted inNews
Water Ice Lurks in Young—but Not Too Young—Lunar Craters
Using topographic data, researchers have estimated the ages of water ice–containing craters near the Moon’s poles and ruled out volcanism as being a primary route for water delivery.
Posted inNews
The First Global Geologic Map of the Moon
At a time when more geological data about the Moon are available than ever before, USGS scientists have created a one-stop shop where everyone, including the public, can see how it all fits together.
Posted inNews
Earth Rocks and Moon Rocks Are More Different Than We Thought
New analyses of oxygen isotopes reveal terrestrial and lunar rocks aren’t as similar as previously thought, potentially changing the way we think the Moon formed.
Posted inNews
Shedding Light on the Darkest Regions of the Moon
An international team of researchers is analyzing boulder tracks to learn more about some of the most elusive regions on the Moon.
Posted inNews
Rolling Rocks Reveal Recent Moonquakes
Using satellite images of the lunar surface, scientists find trails left by boulders shaken loose by seismic activity.