Here is a fascinating article on new research done by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NOAJ) that shows the Moon's deepest mantle layer is still hot.
When we look at the Moon we are seeing the outermost layer of the Moon, the crust. Underneath the crust lies the mantle and then at the very center of the Moon the core. This structure, although vastly different in size and scope, is the same for the Earth.
The Moon and Earth are locked in a gravitational sequence that produces tides which affect both the Moon and Earth. The research done by an international team shows that the deepest interior of the mantle is soft due to this tidal heating.
Our view of the Moon has changed from being a dry, dead and geologically dormant world to one where water exists, a tenuous atmosphere and now interior heat.
The Moon beckons us to return to explore and I believe inhabit it.
Sky Guy in VA
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