Chinese scientists discover two new lunar minerals
Chinese scientists have discovered two new lunar minerals from the lunar samples brought back by China's Chang'e-5 mission.
This marks the latest achievement following their first discovery of a lunar mineral, changesite-(Y), in 2022. To date, the total number of new minerals discovered from moon samples worldwide has reached eight.
At the opening ceremony for 2026 Space Day of China held in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, on Friday, the China National Space Administration announced these two findings: magnesiochangesite-(Y) and changesite-(Ce), both of which have been approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association.
Magnesiochangesite-(Y), is primarily found in lunar basaltic clasts. The mineral is found in the form of columnar crystals,with particle sizes varying from 2 to 30 microns, roughly one-third to one-thirtieth the diameter of a human hair.
Experts say that both the magnesiochangesite-(Y) and the previously discovered changesite-(Y) are calcium-rare earth phosphate minerals, but the former is richer in magnesium and rare earth elements.
"This is the data we collected and the final crystal structure diagram we derived. In changesite-(Y), iron occupies this position, whereas in magnesiochangesite-(Y), magnesium occupies this position. This is the fundamental difference," said Ge Xiangkun, deputy director of the Analytical Laboratory at the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology under the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).
Hou Zengqian, principal scientist of China's planetary exploration program and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the new lunar minerals are important to help scientists better learn about the moon.
"Compared to previous changesite-(Y), the new mineral we've discovered (changesite-(Ce)) is richer in the light rare earth element cerium. It represents a product of different stages in the moon's evolution, allowing us to better understand the moon's formation and evolutionary history. Our next task is to continue studying the new compositional elements of the lunar soil samples to provide a scientific basis for future resource development and utilization," he said.
