The lunar soil samples consist of angular agglutinates and glass beads with nearly a total absence of quartz. The lunar soil samples show no evidence of iron (III) oxide, which is formed
when iron oxidizes or rusts. Iron titanium oxide or ilmenite is found in the lunar soil and is black in appearance. Lunar soil also contains plagioclase feldspars which appear white,
olivine, green, or as a yellowish-brown mineral. All three sets of lunar samples are similar in chemistry and mineralogy. Soil and rock samples from Earth are composed of rounded grains, primarily of quartz. Many samples contain some iron (III) oxide that gives the soil a red, yellow, or brown coloration. |