Space Weathering of the Chang'e‐5 Lunar Sample From a Mid‐High Latitude Region on the Moon.

Micrometeorite impacts and solar wind irradiation, the dominant space weathering (SW) processes, largely modified compositions and microtexture of soil materials on the Moon. Here, we report the SW characteristics of the Chang'e‐5 lunar soils from mid‐high latitude (43.06°N). All mineral phases exposed on the surface of a single basalt clast have a vapor deposit layer, whereas the textures of the solar wind irradiation‐damaged zone are dependent on the host mineral species. Nanophase Fe (npFe0) particles are spherical in the amorphized zone of pyroxenes, elongated in ilmenite, and irregular on the jagged surface of iron sulfide, but not found in Fe‐poor merrillite. Vesicles were found in the damaged zone of ilmenite and merrillite, but with different shapes. The observations were compared to Apollo samples and demonstrate no significant altitude‐dependent effects on the SW, which is important for decoding the reflectance spectra of the Moon. Plain Language Summary: The lunar surface has been suffering intense meteorite impacts and solar wind irradiation for billions of years, which heavily modifies its physical properties, chemical compositions and mineralogical features, and in turn, the optical reflectance spectra of the Moon. The meteorite impacts are random events, but the intensity of solar wind irradiation is latitude dependent. However, all Apollo and Luna missions landed in a narrow and low range of lunar latitude. The Chang'e‐5 (CE‐5) mission returned lunar soil samples from a middle latitude (43.06°N), providing unique samples for study of lunar space weathering (SW). In this paper, we report the SW features of various minerals from a single basaltic clast of the CE‐5 sample. Our observations reveal phase‐dependent effects on the SW. Furthermore, the CE‐5 lunar soil shows no significant differences from those of Apollo samples, suggestive of little latitude‐dependent effects on lunar SW. Key Points: The space weathering (SW) characteristics of lunar soils returned by Chang'e‐5 landing at the mid‐high latitude site are reportedMicroscopic textures of SW depend on mineral species but show no relationship with the latitude of sampling siteThe SW products by micrometeorite impacts and solar wind irradiation are distinguished [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]