All articles tagged with #south pole aitken basin
New simulations of the Moon’s South Pole–Aitken basin suggest the basin formed from a southward, oblique impact by a ~260-km differentiated body. The resulting ejecta pattern may leave mantle material near the basin rim, giving Artemis 2028 a rare opportunity to sample lunar mantle and illuminate the Moon’s formation and early solar system history.
A Purdue-led study using high‑resolution 3D simulations proposes that the Moon’s South Pole–Aitken basin was formed by a 260-km differentiated asteroid that struck the Moon at a shallow, north‑to‑south angle, effectively decapitating its outer layers while the iron core continued plowing, flinging mantle material toward the lunar south pole. If correct, the SPA ejecta could be among the samples future Artemis missions reach, offering clues to the Moon’s deep interior and the basin’s age.
Chang'e 6 samples from the Moon’s far side show a higher potassium-41 to potassium-39 ratio than near-side rocks, consistent with the giant impact that formed the South Pole-Aitken Basin evaporating volatiles and reshaping the Moon’s interior, helping explain the far side’s distinct geology and its paucity of maria.
A new analysis of dust from the Moon’s far side collected by China’s Chang’e-6 mission finds heavier potassium isotopes than near-side samples, suggesting the South Pole–Aitken impact heated the Moon so intensely that lighter isotopes vaporized and escaped, reshaping the Moon’s mantle and leaving long-lasting hemispheric chemical differences and possibly triggering deep interior processes.
A new study reveals that the Moon's largest crater, the South Pole-Aitken basin, was formed by an impact from the north, providing insights into the Moon's early evolution and the distribution of materials like KREEP, which explains the hemispheric differences. Artemis astronauts will target this site to collect samples that could shed light on the Moon's geological history.
Scientists have revised their understanding of the Moon's largest crater, the South Pole-Aitken basin, suggesting it was formed by a glancing blow rather than a head-on impact. This new insight could influence upcoming NASA Artemis missions targeting the lunar south pole, as the region may contain valuable clues about the Moon's interior and evolution. The findings also shed light on the asymmetry between the Moon's near and far sides, particularly regarding mineral distribution and crust formation.
Scientists have revised their understanding of the Moon's largest crater, the South Pole-Aitken basin, suggesting it was formed by a glancing blow rather than a head-on impact. This new insight could influence upcoming NASA Artemis missions, which aim to explore the lunar south pole, and deepen our understanding of the Moon's interior and geological history.
Scientists have discovered a massive structure beneath the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the Moon, weighing over 2 billion kilograms and stretching 2,000 kilometers, which could be made of metal from an asteroid or formed during the Moon's magma ocean. This finding, enabled by NASA's GRAIL mission, may provide new insights into the Moon's history and the early solar system.
Scientists have discovered an enormous structure hidden beneath the surface of the Moon's South Pole-Aitken Basin, weighing approximately 2.18 billion billion kilograms and stretching for over 300 kilometers in depth. Using data from NASA's GRAIL mission, researchers believe the structure may contain metal from the asteroid that formed the crater. Computer simulations suggest that the metal may have remained embedded in the Moon's mantle after the impact. This discovery adds to the growing interest in the South Pole-Aitken Basin as a unique laboratory for studying the Moon's interior composition and its history.
Scientists have discovered a massive structure beneath the Moon's South Pole-Aitken basin, weighing at least 2.18 billion kilograms and measuring over 300km in depth and 2,000km in length. The anomaly could be composed of metal from an asteroid or oxides from a magma ocean. The finding was made using NASA's GRAIL mission, which measures changes in the Moon's gravitational field, providing insights into its internal composition and history.
Scientists have discovered a massive structure buried beneath the South Pole-Aitken basin on the Moon, weighing at least 2.18 billion kilogrammes and measuring more than 300km in depth and 2,000km in length. The structure could be made out of metal from the core of an asteroid or oxides from the crystallisation of a magma ocean. The discovery was made thanks to NASA’s GRAIL mission, which measures changes in the Moon’s gravitational field.
Scientists have discovered a massive structure buried beneath the South Pole-Aitken basin on the Moon, weighing at least 2.18 billion kilogrammes and measuring more than 300km in depth and 2,000km in length. The structure could be made out of metal from the core of an asteroid or oxides from the crystallisation of a magma ocean. The discovery was made thanks to NASA’s GRAIL mission, which measures changes in the Moon’s gravitational field.
Scientists have discovered a massive structure buried beneath the South Pole-Aitken basin on the Moon, weighing at least 2.18 billion kilogrammes and measuring more than 300km in depth and 2,000km in length. The structure could be made out of metal from the core of an asteroid or oxides from the crystallisation of a magma ocean. The discovery was made thanks to NASA’s GRAIL mission, which measures changes in the Moon’s gravitational field.
Scientists have discovered a massive structure buried beneath the South Pole-Aitken basin on the Moon, weighing at least 2.18 billion kilograms and measuring more than 300km in depth and 2,000km in length. The anomaly could be made out of metal from the core of an asteroid or oxides from the crystallisation of a magma ocean. The discovery was made thanks to NASA's GRAIL mission, which measures changes in the Moon's gravitational field and can be used to study its internal composition.
Scientists have discovered a massive structure buried beneath the South Pole-Aitken basin on the Moon, weighing at least 2.18 billion kilogrammes and measuring more than 300km in depth and 2,000km in length. The structure could be made out of metal from the core of an asteroid or oxides from the crystallisation of a magma ocean. The discovery was made thanks to NASA’s GRAIL mission, which measures changes in the Moon’s gravitational field.