Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter Observes Solar Eruption's Impact on Moon for First Time

A payload on India's Chandrayaan-2 lunar orbiter has made the first-ever direct observation of a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) from the Sun affecting the Moon's environment. The Chandra’s Atmospheric Composition Explorer-2 (CHACE-2) instrument detected a dramatic, tenfold increase in the pressure of the Moon's tenuous exosphere as solar particles impacted its surface. This landmark observation confirms long-held theoretical models and provides crucial new data on lunar space weather, essential for planning future lunar bases.