The Moon shouldn’t have rust—there’s no liquid water, and no atmosphere to sustain oxidation. But in 2020, scientists confirmed hematite, an iron oxide, at the lunar poles. How? Earth is to blame. Our planet’s magnetic field extends far enough to push oxygen-rich particles toward the Moon, especially during full moons. Over billions of years, tiny amounts of rust have built up. It’s slow, subtle, and weird—because the Moon, by all logic, shouldn’t be rusting at all.
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