ISS Astronaut Spots Moon-like Mountains From Space
Earth and the moon have a shared geological history The post ISS Astronaut Spots Moon-like Mountains From Space appeared first on Nautilus .
An astronaut aboard the International Space Station photographed a massive lunar anorthosite formation in southwestern Madagascar on August 28th. Anorthosite, a crystalline rock that makes up most of the lunar highlands, is also found on Earth in various locations. The Saririaky massif in Madagascar, the largest of four such blocks in the area, is estimated to be at least 600 million years old, whereas the lunar anorthosite is about 4 billion years old.
The resemblance between the lunar and Earth anorthosite is valuable for studying the moon without sending astronauts or spacecraft. NASA's lunar geoscientist, Sarah Deitrick, highlights that these rocks, particularly the ones in Montana, are crucial for equipment and suit testing before human missions to the moon in 2028.
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