Unveiling the Moon’s Mysteries: What You Need to Know About its Largest Crater, Where NASA Astronauts Are Set to Land

Scientists have uncovered surprising new details about the Moon’s largest crater, the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin, which formed about 4.3 billion years ago. A recent study published in Nature reveals that this massive crater is the result of a glancing impact, rather than a direct hit from an asteroid.

Measuring over 1,200 miles across, the shape of the SPA basin might help explain the differences between the Moon’s near side and its far side. The near side is comparatively smooth, while the far side is filled with craters. Researcher Jeffrey Andrews-Hanna from the University of Arizona notes that these findings hold important insights for NASA’s Artemis program. The Artemis missions plan to land astronauts on the Moon’s down-range rim, which is thought to be an ideal area for studying materials that may offer clues about the Moon’s interior.

The team’s analysis compared the shape of SPA to other impact craters in our solar system. They noticed that its teardrop shape indicates it was struck at an angle, which may have revealed heavier minerals beneath the surface.

Current understanding suggests the Moon was once covered by a magma ocean shortly after its formation, with heavier elements sinking to form a solid mantle and lighter ones rising to create the crust. Some leftover minerals, called KREEP (potassium, rare earth elements, and phosphorus), became trapped rather than settling into the mantle. This process is similar to how syrup remains in frozen water, concentrating in the last bits of liquid.

Interestingly, KREEP-rich materials are found mostly on the Moon’s near side. Researchers propose that as the far side of the Moon crust thickened, magma was pushed towards the near side, like toothpaste from a tube. The impact that created SPA likely marks the transition between the KREEP-rich crust and the Moon’s more typical crust.

With Artemis missions set for the next two years, we stand on the brink of discoveries that could transform our understanding of the Moon’s history and geology. NASA intends to bring back samples that will help clarify these new theories.

Overall, these findings underline that our understanding of the Moon is still evolving. As Andrews-Hanna pointed out, the upcoming missions will unlock more secrets about our closest neighbor in space.

For more insights about lunar exploration, check out this article from Space.com: “The Moon’s Hidden Minerals”.

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the Moon, crater, magma ocean