Face of the moon to change completely – in 81,000 years' time
Face of the moon to change completely – in 81,000 years' time
Bombardment by asteroids and comets is much heavier than previously thought, creating 180 sizeable new craters every year, say scientists
Agence France-Presse in Paris
Wednesday 12 October 2016 20.22 EDT
The moon is bombarded by so much space rock that its surface gets a complete facelift every 81,000 years, according to a study of Nasa data.
This churn – affecting the top 2cm (nearly an inch) of mostly loose moon dust – happens 100 times more frequently than previously thought, scientists have reported.
The study also estimates that asteroids and comets crashing into the moon create on average 180 new craters at least 10 metres (33ft) in diameter every year.
The findings, published in Nature, come from “before and after” pictures taken by Nasa’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft, which has been mapping the moon since 2009.
More:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/oct/13/face-of-the-moon-to-change-completely-in-81000-years-time
