Wind from Earth is rusting the Moon

Oxygen particles blown from Earth to the Moon can turn lunar minerals into haematite — otherwise known as rust. The particles are carried in ‘Earth wind’ — a gust of ions of elements such as hydrogen, nitrogen and the offending oxygen — which hits the Moon for around five days each month. Researchers simulated the process by pelting single crystals of iron-rich minerals known to exist on the Moon with ions of oxygen, which caused the crystals to transform into haematite.