The Moon has Two Grand Canyons, Carved in Minutes by an Asteroid Impact

Schrödinger peak-ring impact basin and two radiating canyons carved by impact ejecta. NASASVSErnest T. Wright. b Azimuthal Equidistant Projection of the Moon LRO LROC WAC Global Morphology Mosaic 100?m v3 (100 meters/pixel), centered on the Schrödinger basin, with the continuous ejecta blanket outlined (beige, after ref. 27) and radial secondary crater rays (red). Vallis Schrödinger and Vallis Planck (see Fig. 3 for close-up views) intersect near the southern rim of the basin (white point). The size of the point indicates the uncertainty. The projected bearing of the primary impactor (yellow) runs through the point of intersection and the basin center. A third unnamed feature extends in an uprange direction.

Our Moon continues to surprise us with amazing features. Scientists recently shared new information about two canyons that branch out from a major lunar impact. The site is the Schrödinger basin near the Moon’s South Pole. It formed when an asteroid or possibly even a leftover planetesimal slammed into the surface. It took only minutes … Read more