Under the moon's surface, magnetized lava may create 'lunar swirls'

A dark grey high altitude view of the lunar surface, with tiny craters speckled throughout, and one large crater on the far right.

Mysterious swirling patterns seen on the moon's surface may be linked to underground magma activity, a new study suggests. 

The "lunar swirls" observed on the moon exhibit a spiral pattern created by magnetized rocks that deflect or redirect solar wind particles that constantly bombard the moon. Moon rocks that fall within the lunar swirls remain light colored, while neighboring rocks that don't — and which were therefore impacted by charged particles from the sun — seem to undergo a chemical reaction that causes them to appear darker, according to a statement from Washington University in St. Louis.