Chinese scientists studying lunar samples returned by the Chang’e-6 mission have identified rare meteorite relics that could reshape our understanding of mass transfer in the Solar System.

The study, published in the latest issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was led by a research team from the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry (GIG) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xinhua news agency reported.

The CI chondrites—a type of meteorite rich in water and organic materials that typically originates in the outer Solar System—are so rare on Earth that they account for less than one per cent of all collected meteorites.

Unlike Earth, the Moon has almost no atmosphere or plate tectonics, meaning it preserves a pristine record of ancient asteroid impacts, acting as a

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