Image: High-resolution mosaic of the Moon's surface captured by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).


NASA scientists have made exciting discoveries about the internal structures of both the Moon and the asteroid Vesta. These new insights reveal that both bodies may have experienced complex geological processes, challenging our previous understanding of how small bodies in the solar system formed


🌕 Inside the Moon: A Layered History

Using seismic data from the Apollo missions and new observations from satellite missions, researchers confirmed that the Moon has a crust, mantle, and a small core—much like Earth.

This layered structure suggests the Moon went through a phase of differentiation, where heavier materials sank to the center and lighter ones rose to the surface. Understanding this process is key to unlocking the Moon’s thermal and magnetic history.


Image: 3D illustration of the Moon's internal layers: crust, mantle, and core.

🪨 Vesta: A Mini-Planet with a Big Story


 


Image: Full-frame image of Vesta captured by NASA's Dawn spacecraft

The asteroid Vesta, once thought to be a simple space rock, is now known to have a core, mantle, and crust—just like planets. Thanks to data from the Dawn spacecraft, scientists believe that Vesta is a differentiated object, meaning it experienced melting and separation of materials in its early history.

What’s astonishing is that this process was once thought to only occur on large planetary bodies. Vesta’s metal-rich core proves otherwise.

🔬 Why It Matters





Image: Diagram illustrating the stages of solar system formation

These findings are more than just fun facts—they help us understand how our solar system evolved. Learning about the internal structures of the Moon and Vesta gives scientists clues about planet formation, thermal evolution, and how materials moved around during the chaotic early days of the solar system.

🚀 What's Next?

NASA is continuing its mission to explore asteroids and planetary bodies, gathering more data to deepen our understanding of the universe. Each discovery, like those from the Moon and Vesta, adds a piece to the puzzle of how our solar system came to be.