Ancient asteroid impact shapes two canyons on moon's far side, study finds

sun-sentinel.com February 4, 2025, 09:00 PM UTC

New research reveals that a massive asteroid impact billions of years ago created two large canyons on the moon's far side. This event occurred about 3.8 billion years ago and was detailed in the journal Nature Communications. Scientists used data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to analyze the impact. The asteroid, estimated to be 15 miles wide, struck the moon, sending debris flying at high speeds and forming canyons in just 10 minutes. The findings are significant for NASA's plans to explore the moon's south pole, where older rocks remain undisturbed. This area may provide insights into the moon's and Earth's origins, as it is mostly free from debris from the ancient impact.


With a significance score of 5.4, this news ranks in the top 1% of today's 16527 analyzed articles.

Get summaries of news with significance over 5.5 (usually ~10 stories per week). Read by 8000 minimalists.