Moon asteroid collision formed two huge craters within minutes
A new study by scientists suggests that an asteroid impact on the Moon blasted two huge craters within a matter of minutes. Located close to the Moon's south pole, their sizes have been compared with that of the Grand Canyon in the US state of Arizona.However, unlike Earth's natural wonder, which was carved through millions of years of erosion - the two lunar craters are thought to have taken just ten minutes to form.Scientists think they were dug out by rocky debris after the surface was struck around 3.8 billion years ago.
What did scientists discover on the Moon?
The two craters - called Vallis Schrödinger and Vallis Planck - are hidden on the far side of the Moon, the side which always faces away from Earth.They are located close to the lunar south pole, which is where Nasa are planning on landing astronauts during the Artemis III mission.Vallis Schrödinger is around 170 miles long and 1.7 miles deep, while Vallis Planck is a similar length and 2.2 miles deep.An international group of scientists used images and data of the area, as captured by Nasa's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. This allowed the team to draw up maps of the region, and work out the speed and size of the material that hit the moon 3.8 billion years ago.They calculated that debris travelled at speeds of around 1 kilometre per second and that the biggest chunks were 3.2 miles wide.Researchers say that the information they've gathered could help experts decide where to take samples from the lunar surface during the next human and robot-crewed missions to the Moon.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Legendary astronaut reveals the best view of the moon from Earth happens in just HOURS... here's how to see it
Legendary NASA astronaut has expressed excitement for the appearance of a Strawberry Moon tonight, saying it will be the 'best lunar views in 20 years' Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, shared on social media that the moon 'is projected to have a rather low arc across the sky due to the lunar standstill and will appear quite large.' The low arc is caused by a phenomenon called a 'major lunar standstill,' which occurs once every 18.6 years. During this time, the moon's orbit reaches its steepest tilt, causing it to rise and set at its most extreme points on the horizon. As a result, summer full moons like tonight's travel much lower in the sky than usual. The full moon will rise just after sunset on Tuesday, June 10, and shine brightest early Wednesday morning, June 11. The full phase will peak at 3:44am ET, but the best viewing time is shortly after moonrise Tuesday evening. Skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere will see the moon glowing orange or yellow near the southern horizon, thanks to atmospheric light scattering. The name 'Strawberry Moon' is a traditional title given to the full moon that appears in June and has historically coincided with the start of the strawberry harvest. Contrary to popular belief, it does not refer to the moon's color or any resemblance to the fruit itself. Full moons have long been assigned nicknames based on the month they occur, a practice dating back hundreds of years. NASA notes this year's Strawberry Moon will also appear near the bright center of the Milky Way, visible during the June through August 'core season.' The moon's unusually low path tonight is a direct result of its 18.6-year lunar cycle, known as a lunistice, a point when the moon's orbit tilts to its greatest angle relative to Earth's equator. This tilt means the moon rises and sets farther north or south on the horizon than usual, following a shallower or higher arc depending on the season. NASA explains this occurs because the moon's tilted orbit interacts with Earth's own tilted axis and orbit around the sun, causing long-term shifts in the moon's apparent trajectory. At this time, the 'moon illusion' makes the moon appear larger near the horizon, a psychological effect that doesn't change the moon's actual size but makes the sight especially striking. The moon's glow often appears soft orange or yellow near the horizon because Earth's atmosphere scatters shorter blue wavelengths, allowing longer red and yellow light to reach the eye, similar to a sunset effect. For those hoping to catch the Strawberry Moon, open fields, hilltops or coastal areas facing the southeast horizon offer the clearest views. No special equipment is needed to enjoy the event, though binoculars or a telescope can reveal more detail. The moon's shifting rise and set points have been observed and tracked by cultures worldwide for centuries.
NBC News
6 hours ago
- NBC News
SpaceX readies private launch of four astronauts to International Space Station
Four crew members are set to launch Wednesday on a privately funded mission to the International Space Station. The flight, organized by the Houston-based company Axiom Space, is slated to lift off at 8 a.m. ET from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The foursome will journey into orbit in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule atop a Falcon 9 rocket. NASA will broadcast live coverage of the launch beginning at 7:05 a.m. ET on NASA+. The flight was scheduled to launch Tuesday but high winds along the Florida coast forced a one-day delay. The mission, known as Ax-4, is expected to last about two weeks at the International Space Station. The mission will be led by retired NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who has already logged a record 675 days in space — more than any other American astronaut. Joining her will be pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, an astronaut with the Indian Space Research Organization; mission specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, a Polish scientist with the European Space Agency; and mission specialist Tibor Kapu, a mechanical engineer from Hungary. Shukla, Uznański-Wiśniewski and Kapu will make history by becoming the first people from their countries to live and work on the International Space Station. During their two-week stay at the orbiting lab, the Ax-4 crew members will conduct a host of scientific experiments, according to NASA, including studies of muscle regeneration, how sprouts and edible microalgae grow in microgravity and how tiny aquatic organisms survive at the ISS. If the launch goes according to plan, the four astronauts will dock at the space station on Thursday at around 12:30 p.m. ET. The upcoming flight will be Axiom Space's fourth crewed mission to the International Space Station. The company's first private expedition to the ISS was in 2022 with an all-civilian crew. The price tag for the Ax-4 mission has not been publicly disclosed, but space tourists reportedly paid around $55 million per seat on previous Axiom Space expeditions.
Time Out
9 hours ago
- Time Out
A strawberry moon will light up Canadian skies tonight
Get ready for a rare skywatching moment that won't return until 2043. On the heels of April's Pink Moon, June's full moon—commonly called the Strawberry Moon (a name derived from Native American cultures to mark the ripened strawberry)—will be on display this evening. Bonus? The already low June moon will appear even lower due to the Feat Lunar Standstill. Smoky Canadian skies could give this Strawberry Moon a reddish hue. What is a Great Lunar Standstill? The Great Lunar Standstill happens roughly every 18.6 years, when the northernmost and southernmost moonrise and moonset are furthest apart. The celestial happening is visible to the naked eye under clear skies. When can I see the Strawberry Moon? Peak illumination will occur at 3:44 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. How can I see the Strawberry Moon? If you want to see the Moon looking especially large, head outside around sunset and look to the eastern horizon. Or, if you're an early riser, catch it setting in the west before sunrise. In both cases, the Moon will appear unusually big thanks to the Moon Illusion.
