Moon's Magnetic Mystery: Indian Scientists Unravel Ancient Lunar Magnetism

Our Moon, a familiar sight in the Indian night sky, holds a fascinating secret: ancient rocks brought back by Apollo missions show signs of magnetism, even though our lunar neighbour doesn't have a magnetic field today. For decades, this has puzzled scientists, as a magnetic field typically requires a molten core generating a 'dynamo' – something the Moon, with its much smaller and cooler core, seemingly lacked. This cosmic riddle has led to various theories, with some suggesting a brief dynamo was possible in the Moon's early, hotter days. However, a groundbreaking new theory offers a compelling solution: a powerful impact. Scientists now propose that a massive collision with an asteroid or cometary body could have generated a temporary but strong magnetic field on the Moon. Such an impact would have created a superheated plume of plasma, a state of matter where electrons are stripped from atoms. The movement of this electrically charged plasma, perhaps combined with the rapid expansion and cooling of the impact debris, could have acted as a transient dynamo, imprinting magnetism onto the cooling lunar rocks. This innovative idea provides a fresh perspective on the Moon's magnetic past, suggesting that even without a long-lasting internal dynamo, celestial mechanics played a crucial role in shaping its ancient magnetic signature.