New study suggests the Moon may be older than previously thought

A new study suggests the Moon may be older than previously believed. Researchers propose that extreme heating events during the Moon's outward journey from Earth affected the dating of lunar rock samples, which are currently estimated to be about 4.35 billion years old. The study challenges the idea that the age of these rocks directly reflects the Moon's formation. Instead, it argues that the rocks' ages may indicate when the Moon experienced tidal heating, suggesting that the Moon formed earlier than the current rock samples imply. Further research is needed to confirm these findings, with new samples from China's Chang’e 6 mission expected to provide additional data. The study highlights the importance of collaboration between different scientific disciplines to resolve conflicting theories about the Moon's history.