A Chinese team determined that the lunar Apollo Basin was formed 4.16 billion years ago.

According to CCTV News, a Chinese research team, through high-precision chronological analysis of lunar soil samples collected by the Chang'e-6 rover, has determined that the lunar Apollo Basin formed 4.16 billion years ago.

This discovery, according to the report, precisely dates the formation of the Apollo Basin, pushing the onset of the lunar "impact storm" back by at least 100 million years and contributing to a new understanding of the evolution of the Earth-Moon system.

Mighty impact basins are scattered across the lunar surface, most of which are remnants of impacts from small bodies within the solar system dating back approximately 3.8 billion years. The scientific community has long debated whether this solar system "impact storm" gradually weakened or experienced a sudden increase in intensity between approximately 4 billion and 3.8 billion years ago. This decades-long controversy stems from a lack of precise age data for key lunar impact basins.

The Apollo Basin, where the Chang'e-6 sample collection site is located, is located within the South Pole-Aitken Basin and is the largest secondary impact structure in the region. Its age may indicate the onset of late lunar impact events.

China's fourth lunar exploration project includes the Chang'e-6, Chang'e-7, and Chang'e-8 missions. Last year, Chang'e-6 achieved humanity's first sample return from the far side of the moon. Chang'e-7's primary mission is to conduct a flyby exploration, aiming to find water.