May 3, 2026 marked two years since the Chang'e-6 lunar "soil-sampling" mission began. A milestone in this mission is the International Mineralogical Association approving Cerium-Magnesium Changesite as the 11th newly discovered lunar mineral after Chinese scientists identified it from a lunar meteorite. This discovery provides crucial mineralogical evidence for understanding the Moon's origin and evolution.

Cerium-Magnesium Changesite was discovered in the first lunar meteorite to fall within China's territory — the Pakepake 005 meteorite. Li Minjing, an associate professor at the School of Environmental Science at China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), said the spherical meteorite weighs 44 grams and is covered with a dark fusion crust, revealing white and dark fragments of calcium feldspar.

Many people confuse Cerium-Magnesium Changesite with Changesite discovered in 2022. Although the two are "siblings" within the "phospho-calc-soda group," there are significant differences between them.

Li explained that Changesite, derived from the samples brought by China's Chang'e-5 lunar mission from the moon, was discovered in 2022. It is rich in the heavy rare earth element yttrium. Its space group (the set of all symmetry elements within the crystal's internal structure) is R3c, and the c-axis length of its unit cell (the most basic geometric unit constituting the crystal) is approximately 37.2 Å, which are typical mineral characteristics.

In contrast, Cerium-Magnesium Changesite — discovered in 2024 and officially named in 2026 — originates from a lunar meteorite. It is rich in the light rare earth elements cerium and magnesium, with a space group of R3m.

The discovery of Cerium-Magnesium Changesite provides new mineralogical evidence for understanding the crystallization and differentiation mechanisms of the lunar magma ocean, expanding the boundaries of our knowledge of the material world.

Li said due to its unique crystal structure and chemical composition Cerium-Magnesium Changesite can serve as a sample for studying the composition of lunar materials, while its inherent luminescent properties can provide insights for research on new luminescent materials.

Furthermore, its rare earth element ratios and crystal structure characteristics can be a reference for the artificial synthesis of related minerals.