41.6亿年前！嫦娥六号月壤样品研究首次精确测定阿波罗盆地形成时间

Core Findings - Chinese scientists have accurately determined that the Apollo Basin on the Moon formed 4.16 billion years ago, providing key evidence for understanding the timing of the Moon's "Late Heavy Bombardment" period [2][3] - The research was conducted by a team led by Xu Yigang from the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, in collaboration with Sun Yat-sen University, the University of Hong Kong, and international partners [2] - The study's findings were published in the international scientific journal Nature Astronomy [2] Research Details - The research team analyzed a 3.5-gram lunar soil sample from the Chang'e 6 mission, identifying three unique rock fragments ranging from 150 to 350 micrometers in size, which are ideal "rock clocks" for recording impact events [2] - The age of the rock fragments was accurately measured, confirming that the 4.16 billion-year age corresponds to the formation of the Apollo Basin [2] - The Apollo Basin, with a diameter of approximately 540 kilometers, is the largest secondary impact structure within the South Pole-Aitken Basin, closely related to the "Late Heavy Bombardment" period [3]