On April 24, China officially announced in Chengdu, Sichuan province the discovery of Magnesiochangesite-(Y), the country's second newly identified lunar mineral and the seventh discovered worldwide to date.

The mineral was identified by a lunar soil research team led by Li Ziying, a senior scientist at the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology (BRIUG), a subsidiary of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). As the first mineral in the merrillite group with the space group R3m, Magnesiochangesite-(Y) enriches the lunar mineral database and provides new insights into lunar magma evolution and rare earth element enrichment. With a rare earth content close to 10% — nearly three percentage points higher than that of Changesite-(Y), it offers an important mineralogical marker for future studies on the distribution of key lunar elements. Li noted that the discovery marks the evolution of Changesite-(Y) "from a single mineral into a mineral family". He explained that these minerals are rich in rare earth elements as well as magnesium, iron, and calcium. The 15 rare earth elements have similar yet distinct properties and often engage in isomorphism with each other. Under reducing conditions, magnesium, iron, and calcium can also undergo isomorphism, leading to the formation of various new minerals. "This suggests that Changesite-(Y) will not be an isolated case," said Li. "We have named it the 'Changesite-(Y) sister mineral family', and more members are likely to be discovered in the future."

China has discovered two new lunar minerals in less than four years, reflecting more than six decades of expertise accumulated by BRIUG in uranium geology. The institute has identified more than two-thirds of China's newly discovered uranium minerals.