Chinese scientists have discovered a new mineral as a result of studying lunar soil samples delivered to Earth in 2020 as part of the Chang'e-5 mission. This was jointly announced by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and the National Atomic Energy Agency of China (CAEA) on Friday.
China first discovered a new mineral in lunar soil. It became the sixth new mineral discovered by mankind in the history of lunar exploration. Thanks to this discovery, China has become the third country in the world to discover a new mineral on the moon, said CAEA deputy director Dong Baotong.
The new mineral, dubbed "Chang'e Stone", is a kind of colorless transparent columnar crystal. It was discovered as a result of the analysis of lunar basalt particles by a research team from the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology (BRIUG) under the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).
Chang'e Stone has been officially approved as a new mineral by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) Commission on the Classification and Naming of New Minerals.
