Supercomputers Reveal Why Moon’s Sides Differ
- Editor OGN Daily
- May 19
- 2 min read
NASA scientists were so surprised by the initial results, they ran the test multiple times to triple-check.
Scientists have long been aware of the differences between the near (which we can see from Earth) and far sides of the moon: The former features vast plains made of solidified molten rock, while the latter boasts rugged mountains. Now, in a new study, researchers created the most detailed lunar gravitational map to date, uncovering new insights into why the two surfaces contrast so dramatically.
“We found that the moon’s near side is flexing more than the far side, meaning there’s something fundamentally different about the internal structure of the moon’s near side compared to its far side,” Ryan Park, supervisor at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said in a statement. His team’s findings suggest that volcanic activity billions of years ago created radioactive elements in the near side’s mantle, resulting in variations in gravity during the moon’s orbit around Earth.
In the study, researchers developed a new gravity model of the moon that includes tiny variations in the celestial body’s gravity during its elliptical orbit around Earth. These fluctuations cause the moon to flex slightly due to Earth’s tidal force - a process called tidal deformation - which provides critical insights into the moon’s deep internal structure.
To get these results, the researchers analyzed data from NASA’s GRAIL mission and used NASA supercomputers to generate the new gravity map. “When we first analyzed the data, we were so surprised by the result we didn’t believe it,” Park said. “So we ran the calculations many times to verify the findings. In all, this is a decade of work.” Looking to the future, he believes the technique could be applied to study the interiors of other planetary bodies throughout the solar system.
