New lunar mineral discovered in China

A 44-gram stone found in the Xinjiang desert has elevated China to the same level as the United States in terms of lunar mineral discoveries. Chinese scientists have identified a new mineral in the first lunar meteorite ever found in China.

Mineral named Magnesiochangesite-(Ce)

Named Magnesiochangesite-(Ce), it is the 11th lunar mineral recorded worldwide. Its discovery has been validated by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association, the global authority responsible for verifying and naming newly discovered minerals.

China now matches the U.S. in lunar minerals

With this validation, China now has four lunar minerals to its credit, as many as the United States, which had previously held the highest number of discoveries in this field. A spherical meteorite of 44 grams recovered in the Taklamakan desert, the mineral comes from Pakepake 005, a spherical stone of 44 grams covered with a dark fusion crust, formed during its passage through Earth's atmosphere.

First lunar meteorite found in China

This meteorite, the first lunar-origin ever found in China, was recovered in 2024 in the Taklamakan desert in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, confirms China Daily. It was in this sample that Wang Yanjuan, a doctoral graduate from the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, first identified the mineral.

Unique properties of the new mineral

It is a rare earth element-bearing phosphate, colorless and transparent, with a vitreous luster. It is brittle and breaks with shell-like fractures and fluoresces under ultraviolet light, properties that allow it to be distinguished from other already cataloged lunar materials.

Insights into lunar formation

Its crystal structure and chemical composition provide information on lunar volcanic activity and how rare earth elements separate during the formation of a planet. Its luminescent properties could, according to researchers, inspire the development of new luminescent materials.

Advanced analysis without destroying the sample

A Chinese instrument capable of analyzing the rock without destroying it. The identification of the mineral relied on a high-resolution secondary ion mass spectrometer developed in China.

Non-destructive analysis technique

The device uses a focused ion beam to probe the surface composition of a sample at a microscopic level, without dissolving or destroying it. Che Xiaochao, an associate researcher at the planetary science research center of the Institute of Geology at the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, compares the process to medical imaging.

Instrument used in lunar missions

He explained that it is like scanning the rock, and without dissolving the sample, they can precisely obtain its internal chemical information and analyze almost all elements and isotopes. Yang Zhiming, director of the institute, noted that the same instrument had already been used in the study of samples brought back by the Chang'e 6 lunar mission, as well as in the analysis of the first lunar meteorite recovered in China.

Importance of scientific equipment

He emphasized the importance of mastering basic scientific equipment and associated analytical techniques to advance the country's research capabilities.