Why does the moon have more craters than the earth?

Question

The earth has a stronger gravitational pull, so if an asteroid went near us wouldn't it be more attracted to the earth. Is it because the earth has an atmosphere and most asteroids burn up on entry?

Answer 1

Exactly, due to earth's larger gravitational pull it is able trap gases and create an atmosphere. The atmosphere provides the earth with protection from bodies such as meteors from coming in. (it is also what makes reentry from space travel difficult.) The moon's lesser gravitational pull is not strong enough to retain atmospheric gases and it therefore does not have that extra protection. All objects that come into the moon's pull will ultimately hit the surface.

Answer 2

Astronomers think that the Earth has had just as many, if not more, asteroid/cometary impacts as the Moon (in fact, I think the most popular theory about the creation of the Moon was that the Earth collided with a Mars sized object, and the debris that was knocked off the Earth and other object in the collision coalesced to form the Moon).

The Earth is, however, an active planet in the sense that it has tectonic activity (i.e. the tectonic plates move), volcanic eruptions, landslides, which over time will gradually make impact craters less visible. There is also erosion and weather processes that can disguise impact craters.

However, sometimes different techniques can be used to detect impact craters on Earth. PEMEX, an oil company, was looking for oil when it discovered the crater in the Yucatan Peninsular, which is now thought of as one of the impact sites of the asteroid/comet which was responsible for the down fall of the dinosaurs. So, although craters are not as obvious as they are on the Moon (since they do not get eroded etc), there are other ways of detecting some, but not all, of them.

Answer 3

The Earth has had more craters than the moon, but they
get eroded from wind, rain earthquakes, floods etc. And you're
absolutely right that earth's greater gravity draws more meteoric
material than does the moon and that this material is largely
burnt in earth atmosphere. But it's only the smaller size ones
that do get burnt. Another thing is that a large part of the earth's
surface is covered by ocean and snow or ice(think of the arctic,
antarctic and Greenland). Some of this ice and/or water is more than a mile deep/thick so a meteor that strikes it doesn't even reach the ground.

Answer 4

Partly it is due to the atmoshere burning up the small ones that reduces the amount of meteroite hits, but big ones still get through, the main reason there are more viisble ones on the moon compaed with the earth is that the moon does not have volcanoes, wind or continental shift, & does have low gravity, therefore any marks made on its surface remain visible unless there are removed by something else making a mark, this has gone on for millions of years hence the large number of craters.
Where as on Earth there have been earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, building work etc. which have gone to eradicate signs of small craters.

Answer 5

it's because of the tectonic plates of the earth. the land is being constantly renewed by sinking and volcanoes provide new land surface. also erosion removes the craters. If we did not have this land movement then the earth would be covered in craters. also the atmosphere burns a lot up but millions of years ago when there was no atmosphere the earth would have looked like the moon.

Answer 6

Many burn up in the atmosphere. Most of the rest that land either go in the ocean (the earth is 2/3 water) or the craters are eroded over time by wind and weather.

Answer 7

You are basically correct, the moon lacks an atmosphere and therefore meteors do not burn up. Also, without the atmosphere or life on the moon, the craters do not erode. The simple fact is they are easier to find.

Answer 8

Because there isnt an atmosphere to burn most of them up before they hit the surface. Anything that hits the moon will probably make a crater

Answer 9

Most meteors are burned or broken up in the Earth's atmosphere. The moon, without an atmosphere, is pelted by objects that would not have made it through to the Earth's surface.

Answer 10

Yes, I believe so and that's why more asteroids and other bodies in space have hit the surface of the moon, thus the moon having more craters than Earth.