Mapping the early history of the moon
Maria Zuber, the E.A. Griswold Professor of Geophysics, delivers the 41st annual Killian Award Lecture. Photo: Dominick Reuter For much of human history, the moon has been a familiar, yet remote, presence in the night sky. Only recently have humans been able to explore the lunar surface to look for clues to the moon’s early history — clues that may reveal a similar history for the Earth and other terrestrial planets. Since the 1950s, more than 100 spacecraft have launched to the moon. Twelve astronauts have walked on its surface; 842 pounds of moon rocks and soil have been returned to Earth for meticulous analysis. And yet, much of the moon’s early history and origins remain shrouded in mystery. According to Maria Zuber, the E.A. Griswold Professor of Geophysics in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences and MIT’s vice president for research, “The answer must not be on...