New research has unveiled the fascinating discovery of a pair of grand canyons on the far side of the moon, resulting from an asteroid impact billions of years ago. Scientists and NASA are particularly intrigued by this finding as they plan to land astronauts at the moon's south pole on the near, Earth-facing side, which remains untouched by the ancient impact and harbors older rocks in their original condition.
Utilizing data and images from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, U.S. and British scientists meticulously mapped the impacted area and traced the trajectory of debris that led to the formation of these canyons approximately 3.8 billion years ago. The asteroid, estimated to be 15 miles across, passed over the lunar south pole before colliding, resulting in the creation of a massive basin and the rapid excavation of two canyons comparable in size to Arizona's Grand Canyon.
The violent and dramatic geologic process unfolded as streams of boulders were propelled at a staggering speed of nearly 1 mile per second, excavating the canyons in a mere 10 minutes, contrasting with the millions of years it took for the Grand Canyon on Earth to form.
The energy required to carve out these canyons was more than 130 times that of the world's current nuclear weapons inventory, underscoring the magnitude of the ancient impact. Fortunately, most of the ejected debris was directed away from the south pole, preserving the targeted exploration zone for NASA's upcoming missions.
The exposed older rocks dating back over 4 billion years are of immense scientific value, offering insights into the moon's origins and potentially shedding light on Earth's history. The research team is now investigating whether the newly discovered canyons are permanently shadowed, akin to some craters at the moon's south pole, which are believed to contain significant ice resources.
These permanently shadowed areas could hold vital resources such as ice, which could be utilized for producing rocket fuel and drinking water during future lunar missions. NASA's Artemis program, set to return astronauts to the moon this decade, aims to leverage these resources for sustainable exploration and potential human habitation on the lunar surface.
