(MENAFN) Scientists in China have made a groundbreaking discovery, detecting "iron rust" within lunar samples for the first time—a finding that reveals new insights into the moon's chemical evolution.

Researchers located microscopic crystalline Fe2O3, manifesting as hematite and maghemite formations, in soil specimens collected by the Chang'e-6 mission, China National Space Administration announced Sunday.

The breakthrough confirms that oxidation processes occur on the lunar surface and provides compelling evidence linking magnetic irregularities near the South Pole-Aitken Basin to ancient impact events, according to the space agency.

The team's research, now published in Science Advances, an international multidisciplinary journal, offers crucial data that will advance future lunar studies and enhance scientific comprehension of how Earth's satellite transformed over billions of years.

The iron oxide traces, formed through massive collision events, mark a pivotal moment in understanding the moon's geologic past and the complex chemical reactions occurring beyond Earth's protective atmosphere.

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