African lunar rock reveals Moon’s 3.5-billion-year molten moment
A rare lunar meteorite found in Northwest Africa (NWA 12593) preserves evidence of three ancient impacts, with radiometric dating pinpointing the earliest around 3.5 billion years ago and cubic zirconia indicating the Moon’s surface briefly melted during the event, shedding light on early solar system bombardment and the context of Earth’s own ancient beginnings.