A Moon meteorite, NWA 12593, has revealed three ancient impacts in a single rock, providing a rare glimpse into the Moon's violent past. This discovery, led by planetary scientist Carolyn Crow, offers a detailed record of lunar history, with each impact leaving its unique mark on the rock. The oldest impact, dating back 3.5 billion years, melted the Moon's surface, forming cubic zirconia, a rare mineral that only forms under ferocious heat. The second collision fused rubble, creating a breccia with fragments from different lunar patches. The third impact sent this breccia chunk to Earth, where it was eventually found in northwest Africa. This meteorite is significant because it aligns with evidence from Earth and the asteroid 4 Vesta, providing a three-way match of impact ages from the same era. This timing is crucial, as it coincides with the emergence of early life on Earth, suggesting that the bombardment may have played a role in its development. The study, published in Geology, opens new avenues for research, allowing scientists to test impact ages from future Moon missions and providing biologists with concrete dates for the heaviest blows that shaped life's early chapters.
