Reference Table - Science, 30 January 1970
Timeless Isochrons | The Age of the Moon

All Published Moon Rock Ages

This table lists the moon rock ages compiled from Science, 30 January 1970, "The Moon Issue," dedicated to the proceedings of the Apollo 11 Lunar Science Conference.

The related articles Timeless Isochrons and The Age of the Moon discuss this Apollo 11 data and refer back to this complete table.

This page preserves the Science Moon Issue-only scope of the original table. It does not add later material from other publications.

Ages in the range 4.3 to 4.56 billion years are shown in green.

Source Sample Age, in billions of years Method Notes
3 10003 <1.0 40 Ar/39 Ar low temp  
3 10003 3.76 ± 0.05 40 Ar/39 Ar total  
1 10003 3.812 208 Pb/232Th  
1 10003 3.878 206 Pb/238U  
3 10003 3.93 40 Ar/39 Ar high temp  
1 10003 3.976 207 Pb/235U  
1 10003 4.025 207 Pb/206 Pb  
3 10017 < 0.25 40 Ar/39 Ar low temp  
2 10017 0.55 Cosmic ray exposure  
3 10017 2.30 ± 0.05 40 Ar/39 Ar total  
2 10017 2.45 40 K- 40 Ar whole rock  
2 10017 2.5 4 He  
2 10017 3.2 40 K- 40 Ar plagioclase  
3 10017 ≥ 3.23 ± 0.06 40 Ar/39 Ar high temp  
1 10017 3.598 208 Pb/232 Th  
1 10017 3.767 206 Pb/238U  
7 10017 3.8 ± 0.3 87 Sr/86 Sr  
1 10017 3.935 207 Pb/235U  
1 10017 4.022 207 Pb/206 Pb  
4 10017 4.13 207 Pb/206 Pb  
4 10017 4.13 207 Pb/206 Pb  
4 10017 4.18 207 Pb/235U  
4 10017 4.21 207 Pb/235U  
4 10017 4.275 206 Pb/238U  
4 10017 4.375 206 Pb/238U 4.3 to 4.56 range
4 10017 4.479 208 Pb/232Th 4.3 to 4.56 range
4 10017 4.67 208 Pb/232Th  
1 10020 3.765 206 Pb/238U  
1 10020 3.773 208 Pb/232 Th  
1 10020 3.903 207 Pb/235U  
1 10020 3.996 207 Pb/206 Pb  
3 10022 < 0.75 40 Ar/39 Ar low temp  
3 10022 3.26 ± 0.05 40 Ar/39 Ar total  
3 10022 3.59 ± 0.06 40 Ar/39 Ar high temp  
3 10024 < 0.2 40 Ar/39 Ar low temp  
3 10024 2.58 ± 0.05 40 Ar/39 Ar total  
3 10024 ≥ 3.48 ± 0.05 40 Ar/39 Ar high temp  
5 10024 4.050 ± 0.7 87 Sr/87Rb isochron  
3 10044 < 0.8 40 Ar/39 Ar low temp  
2 10044 0.1 Cosmic ray exposure  
2 10044 3.45 40 K- 40 Ar whole rock  
2 10044 3.6 40 K- 40 Ar pyroxene  
3 10044 3.62 ± 0.05 40 Ar/39 Ar total  
3 10044 3.74 ± 0.05 40 Ar/39 Ar high temp  
4 10045 4.17 207 Pb/206 Pb  
4 10045 4.17 207 Pb/206 Pb  
4 10047 4.21 207 Pb/206 Pb  
4 10047 4.22 207 Pb/206 Pb  
4 10047 4.245 207 Pb/235U  
4 10047 4.3 206 Pb/238U 4.3 to 4.56 range
4 10047 4.36 207 Pb/235U 4.3 to 4.56 range
4 10047 4.41 208 Pb/232Th 4.3 to 4.56 range
4 10047 4.68 206 Pb/238U  
4 10047 4.95 208 Pb/232Th  
1 10050 3.680 208 Pb/232 Th  
1 10050 3.760 206 Pb/238U  
1 10050 3.952 207 Pb/235U  
1 10050 4.051 207 Pb/206 Pb  
9 10057 2.27 40 K- 40 Ar unspiked  
9 10057 2.3 40 K- 40 Ar spiked  
1 10057 3.959 208 Pb/232 Th  
1 10057 4.089 206 Pb/238U  
1 10057 4.146 207 Pb/235U  
1 10057 4.173 207 Pb/206 Pb  
1 10071 3.374 208 Pb/232 Th  
1 10071 3.794 206 Pb/238U  
1 10071 3.815 207 Pb/235U  
1 10071 3.826 207 Pb/206 Pb  
4 10060 3.365 208 Pb/232Th  
4 10060 4.27 206 Pb/238U  
4 10060 4.495 207 Pb/235U 4.3 to 4.56 range
4 10060 4.595 207 Pb/206 Pb  
4 10060 4.6 207 Pb/206 Pb  
4 10060 4.62 207 Pb/235U  
4 10060 4.675 206 Pb/238U  
4 10060 5.76 208 Pb/232Th  
1 10061 4.594 208 Pb/232 Th  
1 10061 4.663 207 Pb/206 Pb  
1 10061 4.678 207 Pb/235U  
1 10061 4.710 206 Pb/238U  
3 10062 < 1.0 40 Ar/39 Ar low temp  
3 10062 3.42 ± 0.05 40 Ar/39 Ar total  
3 10062 3.83 ± 0.06 40 Ar/39 Ar high temp  
2 10069 0.04 Cosmic ray exposure  
2 10069 1.6 40 K- 40 Ar brown glass  
2 10069 2.9 40 K- 40 Ar whole rock  
2 10069 4.9 ± 0.4 40 K- 40 Ar feldspar glass  
3 10072 < 0.6 40 Ar/39 Ar low temp  
3 10072 3.3 ± 0.05 40 Ar/39 Ar total  
3 10072 3.53 ± 0.05 40 Ar/39 Ar high temp  
7 10072 3.8 ± 0.3 87 Sr/86 Sr  
4 10072 3.825 206 Pb/238U  
4 10072 3.865 206 Pb/238U  
4 10072 3.88 208 Pb/232Th  
4 10072 3.925 208 Pb/232Th  
4 10072 4.045 207 Pb/235U  
4 10072 4.03 207 Pb/235U  
4 10072 4.13 207 Pb/206 Pb  
4 10072 4.13 207 Pb/206 Pb  
4 10084 4.31 208 Pb/232Th 4.3 to 4.56 range
4 10084 4.5 206 Pb/238U 4.3 to 4.56 range
4 10084 4.535 208 Pb/232Th 4.3 to 4.56 range
4 10084 4.6 207 Pb/235U  
4 10084 4.63 207 Pb/206 Pb  
4 10084 4.635 207 Pb/206 Pb  
4 10084 4.645 207 Pb/235U  
4 10084 4.675 206 Pb/238U  
1 10084 4.685 206 Pb/238U  
1 10084 4.668 207 Pb/235U  
1 10084 4.659 207 Pb/206 Pb  
1 10084 4.525 208 Pb/232Th 4.3 to 4.56 range
9 10084 4.67 207 Pb/206 Pb  
9 10084 4.885 207 Pb/235U  
9 10084 5.41 206 Pb/238U  
9 10084 8.2 208 Pb/232Th  
2 10085 4.44 87 Sr/87 Sr 4.3 to 4.56 range
5 10017 & 10041 3.4 ± 0.6 87 Sr/87Rb isochron  
2 5 rocks 3.65 ± 0.05 87 Sr/87Rb isochron  
7 10 rocks 3.8 ± 0.11 87 Sr/87Rb isochron  
8 3 rocks 4.36 ± 0.2 87 Sr/87Rb isochron 4.3 to 4.56 range
8 6 rocks 4.42 ± 0.12 87 Sr/87Rb isochron 4.3 to 4.56 range
8 6 rocks 4.42 ± 0.24 87 Sr/87Rb isochron 4.3 to 4.56 range
8 9 rocks 4.43 ± 0.11 87 Sr/87Rb isochron 4.3 to 4.56 range
8 8 rocks 4.43 ± 0.13 87 Sr/87Rb isochron 4.3 to 4.56 range
8 7 rocks 4.43 ± 0.14 87 Sr/87Rb isochron 4.3 to 4.56 range
6 5 rocks 4.5 ± 0.1 87 Sr/87Rb isochron 4.3 to 4.56 range
8 3 rocks 4.6 ± 0.29 87 Sr/87Rb isochron  
8 5 rocks 4.61 ± 0.23 87 Sr/87Rb isochron  

Sources

The following references are from Science, 30 January 1970, "The Moon Issue."

  1. Mitsunobu Tatsumoto, et al., "Age of the Moon: An Isotopic Study of Uranium-Thorium-Lead Systematics of Lunar Samples" pages 461-463.
  2. A. L. Albee, et al., "Ages, Irradiation History, and Chemical Composition of Lunar Rocks from the Sea of Tranquillity" pages 463-466.
  3. Grenville Turner, "Argon-40/Argon-39 Dating of Lunar Rock Samples" pages 466-468.
  4. Leon T. Silver, "Uranium-Thorium-Lead Isotope Relations in Lunar Materials" pages 468-471.
  5. K. Gopalan, et al., "Rubidium-Strontium, Uranium, and Thorium-Lead Dating of Lunar Material" pages 471-473.
  6. P. M. Hurley, et al., "Rubidium-Strontium Relations in Tranquillity Base Samples" pages 473-474.
  7. William Compston, et al., "Rubidium-Strontium Chronology and Chemistry of Lunar Material" pages 474-476.
  8. V. Rama Murthy, et al., "Rubidium-Strontium Age and Elemental and Isotopic Abundances of Some Trace Elements in Lunar Samples" pages 476-479.
  9. R. K. Wanless, et al., "Age Determinations and Isotopic Abundance Measurements on Lunar Samples" pages 479-480.

Timeless Isochrons | The Age of the Moon