Newshub18:This ‘diamond’ is not on earth, went to the moon and found a new mine? look at that ‘diamond’.
Did China find diamonds on the chest of the moon? No, they discovered an entirely new mineral on the moon that looked like a colorless columnar crystal or diamond, though not quite a diamond. This new mineral was found in the sample collected by China’s Cheng-5 spacecraft from the moon. Incidentally, after completing the lunar mission in December 2020, China’s Cheng’a-5 lunar probe returned to Earth. He brought with him various samples of the moon.
The new mineral has been named chengesite – (Y). The crystal clear like diamond has been recognized as a new mineral by the International Mineralogical Organization or IMA. The discovery of the new mineral was jointly announced by China’s National Space Administration and Atomic Energy Authority, a day before China’s traditional Mid-Autumn festival, Moon Day. The new mineral was discovered by the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology from lunar surface samples brought back by the Cheng’a-5 spacecraft. It is the sixth mineral found on the Moon so far. China became the third country in the world to discover this completely new mineral on the moon.
Scientists report that chengesite – (Y) is a new type of phosphate mineral. According to a research team at the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology, a single crystal particle of this mineral is about 10 microns in diameter, less than one-tenth the diameter of an average human hair. Analysis of its crystal structure revealed that it is a completely new mineral. However, it is not yet known what exactly this new mineral could be used for. In fact, there is still much to be learned about Genghissite – (Y).
In addition to this new mineral, researchers also found another remarkable element in the lunar samples brought back by Cheng’a-5 – helium-3. This is not a new discovery. However, Chinese researchers claim that this rare isotope has been found in heavy concentrations in lunar samples. This isotope is found in very small quantities on Earth. Until now, it was assumed to be abundant on the moon. China’s discovery confirms this. Helium-3K can be used as fuel in nuclear reactors. There is also no risk of radioactivity and other contaminants being produced. In addition to nuclear reactors, helium-3 can also be used as spacecraft fuel. That is, if helium-3 can be extracted from the moon, future space missions will be able to collect fuel from the moon itself