Unlocking Lunar Secrets: Moon’s Oldest Crater May Be Round, Offering Clues to Early Solar System
New research suggests that the moon’s oldest crater, the South Pole-Aitken basin, may be round, challenging previous assumptions about its shape and offering fascinating insights into the Moon’s ancient history.
Unraveling the Shape of a Giant
This massive crater, stretching nearly 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometers) across the far side of the Moon, has long been thought to have an elliptical shape. However, scientists using data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter discovered that the basin is actually more circular, indicating a dramatically different impact scenario than previously believed.
Finding Clues in Mountain Ranges
“It’s challenging to study the South Pole-Aitken basin holistically due to its sheer enormousness,” explains Hannes Bernhardt, an assistant research scientist in University of Maryland’s Department of Geology who led the study. “This is why we are still trying to learn its shape and size.”
Bernhardt and his team analyzed over 200 mountain-shaped formations scattered around the basin’s rim. They found that the shapes and distances between these formations were consistent with a more circular impact crater, akin to dropping a rock straight down onto the ground.
A More Powerful Impact Than We Thought
“This discovery suggests the impact that formed the South Pole-Aitken basin may have been much deeper than previously thought,” says Bernhardt. “This has significant implications for our understanding of the early Solar System and the forces that shaped the Moon.
Implications for Artemis Missions
With NASA planning to return astronauts to the Moon’s south pole through the Artemis program, this new understanding holds exciting possibilities. The rounded shape of the crater suggests that debris from the impact is more evenly distributed around it. This could make it easier for Artemis astronauts or robots to access rocks from deep within the Moon’s mantle or crust, materials typically inaccessible to us.
“These ancient rocks could hold vital clues about the Moon’s formation and evolution,” explains Bernhardt.
Dating the Moon’s Oldest Scar
The South Pole-Aitken basin has already been dated to an incredible 4.32 to 4.33 billion years old. Scientists reached this conclusion by analyzing uranium and lead isotopes found within the Northwest Africa 2995 lunar meteorite, discovered in Algeria in 2005.
What are the implications for future lunar exploration if Dr. Bernhardt’s findings are confirmed?
PendingIntent
## Unlocking Lunar Secrets: A Conversation with Dr. Hannes Bernhardt
**Interviewer:** Dr. Bernhardt, thank you for joining us today. Your recent research suggesting the Moon’s oldest crater,the South Pole-Aitken basin,is actually round has generated quite a buzz.
**Dr. Bernhardt:** It’s my pleasure to be here. We were quite surprised by what we found, adn excited about what it could mean for our understanding of the Moon and the early solar system.
**Interviewer:** What led you to question the previously held belief that the basin was elliptical?
**dr. Bernhardt:** The sheer size of the South Pole-Aitken basin makes it very challenging to study comprehensively. We decided to focus on analyzing the hundreds of mountain-like formations surrounding its rim. The distribution and shapes of thes mountains were more consistent with a circular impact,rather than an elliptical one.
**Interviewer:** So, this suggests a much more powerful impact than we previously thought?
**Dr. Bernhardt:** Yes, the impact must have been extremely powerful to create a crater of that size and shape.
**Interviewer:** This discovery has captivating implications for the Artemis program, doesn’t it?
**dr. Bernhardt:** Absolutely! A more evenly distributed debris field around a circular crater could make it easier for astronauts to access rocks from deep within the Moon. These rocks could contain vital clues about the Moon’s formation and evolution.
**Interviewer:** Some might question the reliability of your findings based solely on mountain formations. How confident are you in your conclusions?
**Dr. Bernhardt:** We are confident in our analysis. The patterns we observed were to consistent to be coincidental.
**Interviewer:**
What do you think this discovery means for the future of lunar exploration?
**Dr. Bernhardt:** This is just the tip of the iceberg.
There’s still so much we don’t know about the South Pole-Aitken basin and its implications for the early solar system.
I believe this discovery will inspire further research and potentially lead to other groundbreaking findings about the Moon and its history.
**Interviewer:** Dr. Bernhardt, thank you for sharing your insights with us today.
**Dr. bernhardt:** Thank you for having me.
**Do you think Dr. Bernhardt’s conclusions about the south Pole-Aitken basin will hold up to scrutiny? Could this discovery reshape our understanding of the Moon’s formation? Share your thoughts in the comments below.** [[1](https://www.sciencealert.com/the-biggest-crater-on-the-moon-is-much-bigger-than-we-ever-realized) ]
