The Moon's Biggest Crater Is Revealing Lunar Formation Secrets We Never Knew 17 FEBRUARY 2021 A crater that covers nearly a quarter of the Moon's surface has revealed new information on how Earth's natural satellite buddy formed - and the findings have tremendous implications, researchers say.
A new analysis of the material ejected from the South Pole-Aitken basin impact has allowed scientists to refine the timeline of the development of the lunar mantle and crust, using radioactive thorium to uncover the order of events. "These results," wrote a team of researchers led by planetary geologist Daniel Moriarty of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, "have important implications for understanding the formation and evolution of the Moon."