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

Odds of an asteroid impact in 2032 just went up. Here’s why experts say you shouldn’t worry

The odds of the asteroid 2024 YR4 impacting Earth in 2032 have increased to 1 in 43. Despite this, you still shouldn’t worry about the potential impact of this asteroid. That’s because experts expected the impact probability of this asteroid, which sits at the top of the Center for Near Earth Object Studies Sentry asteroid … Read more

A Recent Impact on Mars Shook the Planet to Its Mantle

New research suggests an impact recently rattled Mars deeper than thought. HiRISE images a recent impact crater in the Cerberus Fossae region, seen on March 4, 2021. Credit: NASA/MRO/HiRISE Something really rang the Red Planet’s bell. Research involving two NASA missions—the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the late InSight lander—has shed light on meteorite impacts and … Read more

Wonky row crops and ‘possessed’ tractors: The surprising impact of solar storms on modern farming

Modern-day farming is a high-tech operation highly dependent on GPS-guided tractors revolutionizing the way crops are planted, fertilized and harvested. But on May 10, 2024, that system came under attack, not from mechanical failure or sophisticated hackers, but from the sun itself. On that day, the sun unleashed its largest geomagnetic storm in decades. The … Read more