Cosmic Connections W&L students studied samples of moon rocks from NASA to better understand the geological history of Earth, discovering new ways to view the world around them.

Nicholas Barber, assistant professor of earth and environmental geoscience, distributes microscopic slides of moon rock samples to his “Earth Materials” students.

Assistant professor of earth and environmental geoscience Nicholas Barber’s Earth Materials class, which focuses on the geological makeup of the Earth, reached new heights in early October when Washington and Lee University students began studying moon rock samples on loan from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Texas.

After a competitive application process, Barber secured a two-week loan of one of 20 sets of moon rock samples taken during the Apollo missions 12 through 17 (between 1969 and 1972). The set included six samples of moon rocks that have been cut and polished to a thickness of about 0.03 millimeters and placed on microscopic slides. This thickness permits most minerals to let light through them, so researchers can study how the light interacts with the minerals and learn how the rock formed.

The course, open to earth and environmental geoscience majors, examines the formation of minerals and rocks, particularly igneous and metamorphic rocks found in the Earth’s interior. While moon rocks might feel out of place in a class about “Earth materials,” Barber explains that they represent Earth’s own “starting point” and can provide important insight into the planet’s formation and geological properties. A volcanologist, Barber primarily studies how and why volcanoes erupt and appreciates that he could apply similar research techniques to the moon rock samples.

“The moon rocks help construct a temporal picture of Earth,” Barber said. “The students now have a better understanding of what Earth looked like at the beginning. As we look at the Earth through time over the next six weeks, they’ll have this as a reference point for the origins of different rocks and minerals.”

The samples of moon rocks have been cut and polished to a thickness of about 0.03 millimeters and placed on microscopic slides.

While the opportunity to study moon rock samples is a big deal no matter the setting, being able to do so at a small liberal arts university is particularly significant. Barber appreciates how W&L’s small class sizes allow him to dive more deeply into course material and lab experiences, with every student able to participate in the scientific process.

“It’s not every day you get to study moon rocks, and the small group setting allows for a more immersive experience than you would find at a research university,” Barber said. “I think the liberal arts setting lets us dig into the details and lets the students get to know the rocks really well, which gives them a more transformative experience.”

Students in the class were divided into three groups, each focused on studying a different mineral from the moon rocks: basalt, breccia and pluton.

Rachel Collins ’27 was part of the group studying basalt (volcanic rock formed from the rapid cooling of lava) and appreciated the simultaneous challenge and fun of contextualizing the moon rocks’ minerals in a way that applies to the study of Earth’s geology.

“It brought together what we’ve been learning all semester, but in a very unique way,” she said.

Two students study basalt, volcanic rock formed from the rapid cooling of lava, to gain insight into Earth’s formation and geological properties.

After their time in the lab, the groups will present their findings and share insights with the rest of the class. By encouraging each group to become “experts” in their assigned mineral, Barber hopes the students will build important connections between their new insights and their continued study of the Earth’s mineralogy.

For Jana Reynolds ’28, this opportunity to “zoom in” on the minerals has helped her put the topics of the class in better perspective. Her group studied plutons (rocks formed from the slow cooling of magma), and she was looking forward to putting the pieces together with her classmates after the moon rocks were returned to NASA. It has been fascinating, she said, to take such a large-scale topic — like the Earth or the moon — and be able to “really see microscopically how it all goes together and builds from such a small scale.”

Studying moon rocks has not only shaped the students’ understanding of Earth’s geologic history but also how they view the world around them. Aiden Gray ’27, who studied breccia (sedimentary rock that is evidence of impacts from asteroids), found himself particularly struck by “how similar the Earth and the moon are from a composition and history standpoint, but then how different what we see is because of how that composition has manifested.”

Gaining a new appreciation for the different manifestations of mineralogy and petrology was also a highlight for Alex Price ’27, who studied plutons. He says it has been a pleasant surprise to recognize the real-world applications of a subject that can range from vast to microscopic, and he knows he’ll carry what he’s learned beyond the walls of the classroom.

“We see the consequences of what we’re learning every day, just walking around,” Price said. “These properties [of the minerals] define what everything looks like, and now I feel like I’m looking at the world around me differently.”

Students in the class were divided into three groups, each focused on studying a different mineral from the moon rocks: basalt, breccia and pluton.