As per new research, our Moon has been getting bombarded with asteroids since it was still a warm, soft little planetoid. Due to the lack of an atmosphere to protect it, the Moon has been hit by many space rocks and other celestial objects over the eons, as the several craters on its surface indicate.
According to a new study by Australia’s Curtin University, some primordial impacts could be the cause behind shaping the Moon’s larger features. “These large impact craters, often referred to as impact basins, formed during the lunar magma ocean solidification more than 4 billion years ago, should have produced different-looking craters, in comparison to those formed later in geologic history,” said Katarina Miljkovic, Curtin professor and lead researcher.
Understanding the origins of the Moon
The study is published in the journal Nature Communications. Miljkovic explains this could be helpful in understanding the origins of basins like the lunar South Pole-Aitken basin that are less ring-shaped than younger impact craters.
“A very young moon had formed with a global magma ocean that cooled over millions of years, to form the moon we see today,” Milijkovic said. “So when asteroids and other bodies hit a softer surface, it wouldn’t have left such severe imprints, meaning there would be little geologic or geophysical evidence that impact had occurred.”
As the Moon became older and got cooler, its surface became harder, and the imprints left by the bombardment formed more distinct craters that are easily visible today. Miljkovic says the research will provide information that was previously unknown, and that won’t be just restricted to the Moon’s history.
GPS system for lunar missions
“This finding will help future research understand the impact that the early Earth could have experienced and how it would have affected our planet’s evolution.” Besides, the European Space Agency (ESA) is planning to develop a GPS system for the Moon, by launching a network of satellites.
ESA’s Moonlight mission aims to make Earth’s natural satellite more connected to make communication better during manned missions. The space agency wants private firms to develop “a lunar constellation of satellites and base stations providing seamless connectivity back to Earth.”
