NASA and Lunar Science

An Oxford re‑analysis of Apollo 11 and 17 rocks suggests the Moon’s global magnetic field was weak for most of its history but experienced very short, intense spikes 3–4 billion years ago that may have exceeded Earth’s field, likely driven by melting of titanium‑rich rocks deep within the lunar interior. Because those samples came from high‑titanium lava plains, the team — led by Claire Nichols, who called the finding a "missing link" — says earlier claims of a long‑lived strong dynamo may be biased, and upcoming Artemis missions sampling the south pole could provide a less biased picture.