Over the past decades, successful explorations to the moon, our natural satellite, have brought seismographs to the surface. Thanks to these vital instruments, scientists were able to discover ‘moonquakes.’ Strikingly, these quakes have revealed a much more clear idea about the interior of the moon. Over the last two decades, scientists confirmed a fluid core inside the moon, but new scientific modeling proves there’s more to it. According to a recent discovery, the fluid outer core of the moon holds a solid inner core, just like our Earth.
The New Discovery
The team of scientists that made the discovery looked at models reproducing the moon’s physical properties from its mass. These observations indicated that there ought to be a solid core inside the fluid one. The research team estimated that this solid inner core of the moon is around 310 miles (500 kilometers) across and has a lighter density than Earth’s. The study, published in Nature, also has given insight into the moon’s magnetic field. Scientists believe that the moon used to have a very powerful magnetic field, produced by its core. According to them, it was almost 100 times stronger than the Earth’s. But the recent observations regarding the moon’s core revealed that this magnetic field is now in an almost non-existent state.
The New Phenomenon
The model also delivered another intriguing insight – ‘lunar mantle overturn.’ In this phenomenon, the material from the moon’s mantle, the thick middle layer sandwiched between the outer core and the thin crust, moves around many times. The scientists assessed that iron-rich material and other elements from the core-mantle boundary might have risen all the way to the surface of the moon. These ended up in volcanic rocks making up the lunar crust. But at the same time, parts of that lunar crust that were relatively denser sank through the lunar mantle all the way down to the moon’s inner core.
Christian McCaffrey Is Embracing His New Role as the Face of the Panthers Franchise
NFL rosters are changing all the time, and it’s not uncommon for stars to move from team to team over the course of their career. This can cause a complete overhaul within the league, but it seems as though that’s what keeps it fresh, exciting, and competitive. On the other hand, though, there are some players who decide that change isn’t always a good thing, and Christian McCaffrey is one of them. Sure, he’s embracing a new role as the face of the Panthers franchise, but he’s staying right where he is…
Making a Few Changes
The Carolina Panthers are currently in the midst of a few changes, and they are looking at their roster and cutting a few loose ends where they need to. Of course, they’re also adding some fresh meat into the mix – but McCaffrey hasn’t been a part of those discussions. In mid-April, he chose to extend his contract with the Panthers for another four years, adding another $64 million into the bank account. This came as a surprise to many, as some fans thought that he would shoot for the stars and change teams in order to win the coveted Super Bowl title.
Not an Option
For Christian, though, switching wasn’t even an option. While this extension has certainly worked in his favor, as he is now the face of the Panthers since the team said goodbye to Luke Keuchly and Cam Newton, this was just a bonus by-product of the decision that he was always going to make. In his words, “I want to be in Carolina for my whole career… I bought a place in Charlotte. I love the Carolinas more than anything else in the world. It is somewhere I would like to call home forever.” So, Panther fans probably don’t need to worry about him leaving anytime soon.
It’s safe to say that McCaffrey loves his new role.