Four astronauts who visited the far side of the moon as part of the Artemis 2 mission said in their statements after returning to Earth that, contrary to popular belief, the moon is not a uniform gray mass, but has unexpected colors and textures.
The crew, trained with a special 90-page “Lunar Passport” created by NASA geologists and volcanologists, reported browns and greens on the surface using the dynamic perception of the human eye, unlike orbiting robotic vehicles.
It is emphasized that the green minerals seen particularly on the Aristarchus Plateau could be substances such as olivine or pyroxene, which provide important clues about the chemistry of the magma deep within the Moon.
Is the moon more colored than gray?
For scientists, the audio diaries that astronauts record at this moment are of much greater importance than the photos they take.
While “noise” and calibration errors in data from robotic explorers and orbiters can sometimes be misleading, the human eye can instantly compare color and brightness changes in different parts of the Moon.
The astronauts' observations tell a story about the history of volcanic eruptions on the Moon and the geological structure of the surface at depths that satellites cannot detect.
This hidden color palette of the Moon is not only a matter of scientific curiosity, but also a key to understanding the early formation processes of the Earth and the solar system.
The huge craters and lava flows on the lunar surface serve as an archive that preserves the history of gigantic meteorite impacts on our planet and geological changes to this day.
NASA experts say these “colorful” observations from astronauts will be among the most discussed topics at lunar science conferences in the coming years and may redefine our knowledge of the moon's history.
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