Lunar Impact: Discovering Ancient Canyons on the Moon

Recent research reveals that an ancient asteroid impact on the Moon created massive canyons on its far side. This finding aids NASA's future lunar missions, focusing on exploring older geological formations at the south pole, providing insights into both lunar and Earth's history.

New scientific findings reveal that an asteroid impact billions of years ago carved two immense canyons on the Moon's far side. This discovery is pivotal for NASA's upcoming missions aiming to land astronauts near the lunar south pole, a region rich with pristine geological formations.

The research, conducted by US and British scientists, utilized data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. They successfully mapped debris paths from the 3.8-billion-year-old collision and reported these insights in Nature Communications. The asteroid, estimated at 15 miles across, created a significant upheaval, surpassing the energy of existing nuclear arsenals.

NASA's exploration zone remains largely unaffected by debris, offering access to ancient rocks that may illuminate the Moon and Earth's past. Additionally, potential ice in permanently shadowed areas could serve future missions as water and fuel. The Artemis program aims to return astronauts to the Moon within this decade, marking a significant stride since Apollo.

(With inputs from agencies.)