China has discovered a new crystal from the Moon and confirmed the source of potential infinite energy

China has discovered a crystal of a previously unknown mineral on the Moon and confirmed that the surface of the Earth's satellite contains a key ingredient for nuclear fusion, a potential form of virtually limitless energy that harnesses the same forces that power the Sun and other stars.

The crystal was found in a batch of lunar samples collected by China's Chang'e-5 mission in 2020, Vice reports. About four kilograms of soil was delivered to the ground in December of that year. These were the first samples of lunar rock delivered to Earth since 1976.

After careful study of the samples, scientists from the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology noticed a single crystal particle with a diameter smaller than the width of a human hair.

The crystal reportedly consists of a new mineral called Changsite-(Y), named after the Chinese moon goddess Chang'e, who is also the "inspiration" for China's lunar missions.

Changxit-(Y) is a transparent crystal formed in the northern part of the lunar surface, which was volcanically active about 1.2 billion years ago.

This is the sixth new mineral discovered in rock samples from the Moon, and the first to be discovered by China. Previous discoveries were made by the United States and the USSR.

Chinese state media also reported that the lunar rock samples contain helium-3, a type of helium element that has long fascinated scientists and science fiction writers because of its potential as a fuel source for nuclear fusion. However, nuclear fusion is still a long way off, as the development of fusion reactors will take decades, if ever. However, if the reactors are created, helium-3 will be an ideal fuel for them, as it produces fewer radioactive by-products and nuclear waste compared to other atoms.

It should be noted that there is also helium-3 on Earth, but it is extremely rare, while scientists believe that there is a lot of it on the Moon.