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, showed how many of the atoms inside the zircon crystals had undergone radioactive decay. When an atom has an unstable configuration of protons and neutrons in its nucleus, it undergoes decay, shedding some of these protons and neutrons and transforming into different elements. For instance, uranium decays into lead.
The proportion of lead isotopes that the researchers found indicated that the sample was about 4.46 billion years old. Therefore, the Moon has to be at least that old.“It’s amazing being able to have proof that the rock you’re holding is the oldest bit of the Moon we’ve found so far. It’s an anchor point for so many questions about the Earth. When you know how old something is, you can better understand what has happened to it in its history,” says Greer.