A tiny glass bead retrieved by China's Chang'e-5 lunar mission is offering scientists a glimpse into the moon's hidden depths and providing insight into the violent forces that helped shape the cratered landscape.
The bead, just a fraction of an inch wide, was among the 3.7-pound (1.7-kilogram) cache of rock and soil collected by the Chang'e-5 lander in 2020 from Oceanus Procellarum, or the "Ocean of Storms," a vast lava plain on the moon's near side.
