Overview

• The beads originated in explosive lunar eruptions between 3.3 and 3.6 billion years ago.
• Each tiny sphere formed when molten material was ejected into the airless Moon’s environment and froze instantly.
• Variations in color and composition across samples reveal shifts in eruption pressure, temperature and gas content.
• Researchers used techniques such as atom probe tomography and electron microscopy under inert conditions to preserve sample integrity.
• This study, combined with recent Chang’e 5 results showing activity as recent as 125 million years ago, suggests a far more extended lunar volcanic history.