Article Posted on : - Oct 12, 2011

This lunar mosaic shows the boundary between Mare Serenitatis and Mare Tranquillitatis. Photo: NASA/JPL.

WASHINGTON (BNS): Astronomers have found precious titanium ore on the surface of Moon, with some lunar rocks harboring 10 times as much of the stuff as rocks here on Earth do, according to a new study.

The details are found in the new map of moon, which combined observations in visible and ultraviolet wavelengths, revealed the valuable titanium deposits.

According to Space.com, these findings could shed light on some of the mysteries of the lunar interior, and could also lay the groundwork for future mining on the moon, researchers said.

The map of the moon's surface was constructed using data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), which has been circling the moon since June 2009.

LRO's instruments have given a clearer picture of the chemical composition of the moon's surface to the scientists.

The researchers scanned the lunar surface and compared the brightness in the range of wavelengths from ultraviolet to visible light, picking out areas that are abundant in titanium.

The scientists then cross-referenced their findings with lunar samples that were brought back to Earth from NASA's Apollo flights and the Russian Lunar missions.

These titanium-rich areas on the moon puzzled the researchers. The new map shows that these troves of titanium on the moon range from about 1 percent to a little more than 10 percent.