Apollo astronauts found the Moon blanketed with tiny orange glass beads — and now, scientists have finally uncovered the reason why.

When Apollo astronauts first walked on the Moon, they expected a barren landscape of gray rocks and dust. What they didn’t expect was a surreal discovery—tiny, shimmering orange glass beads scattered across the lunar surface like microscopic jewels. These beads, smaller than grains of sand, are remnants of ancient volcanic activity dating back 3.3 to 3.6 billion years, offering a glimpse into the Moon’s fiery past.

Their origin traces back to explosive lunar eruptions, when molten material was violently ejected from deep within the Moon. As the lava droplets shot into space, they cooled instantly in the vacuum, forming perfect glass spheres. Imagine the dramatic lava fountains of Hawaii, but playing out in the silence and stillness of space.

Because the Moon lacks an atmosphere and weather, these delicate beads have remained untouched for billions of years. For decades, they sat in storage, waiting for modern technology to finally unlock their secrets—and now, we’re starting to understand the extraordinary story they’ve been holding all along.

Now, scientists have finally been able to look inside these ancient lunar beads using advanced microscopic techniques that weren't available during the Apollo era. The research team employed a range of cutting-edge tools—including high-energy ion beams and electron microscopes—to analyze the beads in incredible detail without causing any damage. They also had to take special precautions to shield the samples from Earth’s atmosphere, which could alter the delicate, ancient minerals on their surfaces.

What makes these glass beads so scientifically significant is their variety. They come in a range of colors and compositions—some a vivid orange, others a glossy black. Each type holds clues to a different kind of volcanic eruption, revealing a layered history of the Moon’s geologic activity over millions of years.

The minerals and isotopic makeup found on the surfaces of these tiny beads act as windows into the pressure, temperature, and chemical conditions of lunar eruptions that occurred around 3.5 billion years ago. Through detailed analysis, scientists discovered that the nature of volcanic activity on the Moon shifted over time—offering valuable insights into how the Moon’s interior changed as it cooled and aged.

As researcher Bradley Ogliore poetically put it, studying these glass beads is "like reading the journal of an ancient lunar volcanologist." Each microscopic sphere preserves a record of the Moon’s inner workings during a time when the solar system was still young, restless, and full of dramatic change.