Analysing gravity data collected by spacecraft orbiting the moon reveals groundbreaking insights about the Moon’s deep internal structure without having to land on the surface. The study offers evidence that a warmer interior on the Moon’s near side compared to the far side created the conditions for volcanic activity, that may have lasted far longer than expected.
In the lunar study, published May 14 in the journal Nature, researchers developed a new gravity model of the Moon that includes tiny variations in the celestial body’s gravity during its elliptical orbit around Earth. These fluctuations cause the Moon to flex slightly due to Earth’s tidal force — a process called tidal deformation — which provides critical insights into the Moon’s deep internal structure.