Lunar regolith is a thin, powdery layer of soil on the lunar surface. It consists of dust, broken rocks and other materials found on the ground. It covers nearly the entire surface of the Moon, Mars and other celestial bodies in our Solar System.
Detailed Definition:
Lunar regolith comes in the form of dust and small rocks. It is made up of ~45% oxygen, the rest are elements like silicone, iron, magnesium, calcium, chromium and sodium. What differs between the Moon and Earth regolith is the mechanical weathering that lunar soil went through. It was formed over billions of years by constant meteorite impacts on the surface of the Moon. It is estimated that it extends from 5 to 15 metres deep in the ground.
Etymology:
from Greek - rhegos (“blanket”) and lithos (“rock)
Sample Sentence(s):
Astronauts who were on the Moon claimed that lunar regolith sticks to the spacesuits and has the ability to wear them down.
One of the most famous pictures from space is one of an astronaut footprint in the lunar regolith.
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