Apollo 15 astronauts discovered green volcanic glass beads on the Moon in 1971, which later revealed evidence of trapped water, challenging the belief that the Moon was extremely dry.
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The Moon's formation and composition have been subjects of scientific study for decades.
In 1971, Apollo 15 astronauts David Scott and James Irwin noticed something unusual on the Moon: tiny green flecks scattered across the otherwise grey surface. They collected samples and brought them back to Earth, unaware that the material would decades later challenge a long-held belief about the Moon. According to Brown University, the green flecks were volcanic glass beads, and more than 35 years after the mission, researchers discovered evidence of water trapped in the volcanic glass. As per NASA, researchers studying Apollo samples in 2008 detected hydrogen in tiny volcanic-glass beads, providing evidence that water was present inside the Moon when the beads formed during ancient volcanic eruptions. [...] What began in 1971 as a few strange green flecks spotted by two astronauts eventually became a major clue about the Moon's hidden interior.
Florida State University researchers found that juvenile bonnethead sharks can use Earth's magnetic field as a navigational map. In lab tests, sharks oriented themselves toward their home range when exposed to magnetic conditions mimicking southern locations.
In 1971, Apollo 15 astronauts discovered green volcanic glass beads on the Moon. Decades later, researchers analyzing these samples detected trapped water, overturning long-held scientific beliefs that the lunar interior was entirely dry.
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