Lunar impact history more complex than first thought
Posted: Fri, Sep 17, 2010, 7:40 AM ET (1140 GMT)
The Moon was struck by two distinct populations of asteroids and comets in its history, according to the analysis of data from NASA's latest lunar mission. In a paper published in the journal Science on Thursday, researchers said that the cratering record of the Moon, as analyzed by a laser altimeter on NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, showed that older highland regions had proportionally more large craters than small ones when compared to craters in younger maria. That suggests that impactors that struck the Moon early in its history had a larger fraction of large objects than those that his after the maria formed, with the transition occurring around the time the large Orientale basin formed 3.8 billion years ago. The study was published the same week that NASA transitioned operations of LRO from its Exploration Systems Mission Directorate to the Science Mission Directorate to continue its mission.
The Moon was struck by two distinct populations of asteroids and comets in its history, according to the analysis of data from NASA's latest lunar mission. In a paper published in the journal Science on Thursday, researchers said that the cratering record of the Moon, as analyzed by a laser altimeter on NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, showed that older highland regions had proportionally more large craters than small ones when compared to craters in younger maria. That suggests that impactors that struck the Moon early in its history had a larger fraction of large objects than those that his after the maria formed, with the transition occurring around the time the large Orientale basin formed 3.8 billion years ago. The study was published the same week that NASA transitioned operations of LRO from its Exploration Systems Mission Directorate to the Science Mission Directorate to continue its mission.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
California commission votes against increase in SpaceX Vandenberg launches
Posted: Sun, Aug 17 11:32 AM ET (1532 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, August 26
Defense Innovation Unit head Doug Beck resigns
Defense News — 6:48 am ET (1048 GMT) Doug Beck resigns as DIU director
Defensescoop — 6:47 am ET (1047 GMT) Pentagon's innovation unit chief resigns in latest shake-up, sources say
Reuters — 6:47 am ET (1047 GMT) UCF-Developed Testing Tech to Launch on Blue Origin Mission
Univ. of Central Florida — 6:46 am ET (1046 GMT) SpaceX calls off Starship test flight for 2nd day due to weather
San Antonio Express-News — 6:44 am ET (1044 GMT) |
