Fact Sheet
A Moon of a Different Color
X-rays from the sunlit portion of the Moon show that the lunar rocks and soil contain oxygen, magnesium, aluminum, and silicon. An X-ray image of the Moon, produced by the orbiting Chandra X-Ray Observatory, is at right, with an optical image at left for comparison. The chemical elements on the Moon's surface emit X-rays when they're bombarded by X-rays from the Sun. Scientists hope this and other X-ray images will help them learn more about the Moon's origin. [Credit: Robert Gendler; NASA/CXC/SAO/J.Drake et al.]
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