Scientific sleuths trace meteorite to the moon

A meteorite found in the Antarctic last year has been identified as coming from the moon, the first time the origin of a meteorite has been traced, scientists said.

The chunk of rock was most likely torn loose from the moon by an impact with an asteroid, Robert Clayton and Toshiko Mayeda of the University of Chicago said. The researchers said they were able to trace the meteorite's origin by detective work involving the measurement of masses of oxygen atoms in the rock.