Chinese scientists discover two new lunar minerals

Chinese scientists have discovered two new lunar minerals from the lunar samples brought back by China's Chang'e-5 mission, AzerNEWS reports citing Xinhua.

This marks the latest achievement following their first discovery of a lunar mineral, changesite-(Y), in 2022. To date, the total number of new minerals discovered from Moon samples worldwide has reached eight.

At the opening ceremony for 2026 Space Day of China held in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, on Friday, the China National Space Administration announced these two findings: magnesiochangesite-(Y) and changesite-(Ce), both of which have been approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association.