China has discovered a previously unknown mineral on the moon

Chinese scientists have achieved another success in lunar exploration, discovering and identifying a sixth new

As announced by the China National Space Administration and the China Atomic Energy Administration.Discuss

The new mineral, Changesite-(Y), was discovered by scientists at the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology from surface samples returned by the Chang'e-5 robotic mission and has been certified by the International Mineralogical Association and its Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification.

Changesite-(Y), categorized as lunarMerrillite was the first lunar mineral ever discovered and identified by Chinese scientists, making China the third country in the world after the US and Russia to achieve such success, officials from the two government agencies said at a press conference in Beijing.

A sample of a mineral in the form of a single crystalThe 10-micron particles were manually isolated by researchers from more than 140,000 tiny particles and then analyzed using a range of advanced mineralogical methods, according to the Beijing Uranium Geology Research Institute, one of China National Nuclear Corporation's main institutes.