UPDATED: August 4, 2021 13:30 IST
The thorium concentration across the vast South Pole – Aitken Basin on the lunar farside reveals the distribution of mantle materials violently ejected during the basin-forming impact. (Photo: Nasa)
As countries rush to dominate the new age space race, the Moon has emerged as a hot piece of real estate that could act as a base for deeper exploration of the universe as humans vie to become an interplanetary species. But it could also be the site of some rare Earth minerals and resources.
Researchers have identified the lunar south pole as a prime location that could harbour these materials and resources while hiding some of the biggest secrets of Earth's natural satellite including answers to how it was formed in the first place and how other worlds in the solar system evolved.