A colossal asteroid may have warped the moon from the inside out
January 26, 2026
An unusual ratio of potassium isotopes, found in samples of basaltic rock brought back to Earth from the moon’s South Pole–Aitken Basin by China’s Chang’e 6 sample-return mission, has provided further evidence for how the impact that formed this gigantic basin is responsible for the asymmetry between the moon’s near and far sides.
The moon’s near side is familiar to…