China Finds Something Strange in Sample Retrieved From Moon

Chinese scientists have made an unusual discovery while analyzing the sample Chang'e-5 collected from the Moon's surface in December 2020.

They found naturally occurring "few-layer graphene" for the first time, as state-run news agency Global Times reports, which could have major implications for humankind's plans to make use of local resources once on the lunar surface.

The discovery could also offer new insights into the early geological evolution of the Moon. As the South China Morning Post reports, it may even upend a long-held theory that the Moon was formed after a small planet collided with the Earth and that much of its carbon came from this impact.

"The prevalent giant impact theory has been strongly supported by the notion of [a] carbon-depleted Moon derived from the early analysis of Apollo samples," the team led by researchers from Jilin University wrote in their paper published in the journal National Science Review, as quoted by the SCMP.