Samples returned by lunar mission reveal key age of moon rocks

The Chang’e-5 mission – the first lunar sample return since the 1970s – landed in Oceanus Procellarum, an area of solidified lava from an ancient volcanic eruption

Samples returned by the Chang’e-5 mission have revealed key age of moon rocks (Peter Byrne/PA)

The first Moon rocks to be brought back to Earth in more than 40 years are almost two billion-year-old, analysis has revealed.

Researchers studying samples returned by China’s Chang’e-5 mission report that their findings suggest the Moon was volcanically active later than expected.