Asteroid / meteor impacts? or Volcanic type eruptions? or something else.....
2007-10-04 09:50:32 · 15 answers · asked by NachoCook 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
I am not sure that Shoemaker got the run on whether the lunar craters are meteoric in origin. I think you will find that it was data brought back by the Apollo astronauts that showed the craters were NOT volcanic. Impact was the only other option.
Also, it has to be pointed out that most of the moon's craters were formed early in the life of the Solar System, when there was a lot more debris flying around out there.
Every other body in the Solar System that hasn't got atmosphere or tectonic activity is pockmarked as much, sometimes more than our moon. Even small asteroids have craters.
Earth has long ago obliterated its early craters with tectonic activity.
2007-10-04 11:19:25 · answer #1 · answered by nick s 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are all impact craters. The Moon has no tectonic activity, so all of the craters have come from impacts of celestial objects (that means no volcanic craters). Since the moon has atmosphere, it does not experience the effects of weathering. This results in craters existing on the Moon's surface for a VERY long time.
2007-10-04 17:36:07 · answer #2 · answered by Quincy S 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Asteroid / meteor impacts, there is not much of an atmosphere on the moon to protect it
2007-10-04 16:53:36 · answer #3 · answered by Zenkai 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Impacts. There's no volcanic activity on the moon.
2007-10-04 16:53:28 · answer #4 · answered by largegrasseatingmonster 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Eugene Shoemaker (the same guy who found the comet that crashed onto Jupiter) demonstrated that meteoroid impact was the most likely cause.
The first step was proving that the Barringer crater (Arizona) was caused by an impact.
Before his papers, most astronomers thought that most lunar craters were volcanic remnants.
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Comet Shoemaker-Levy-9 was discovered by Carolyn Shoemaker, her husband Eugene Shoemaker, and David Levy.
2007-10-04 17:02:41 · answer #5 · answered by Raymond 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Impacts, the moon isn't large enough for volcanic activity.
2007-10-04 16:53:50 · answer #6 · answered by juicy_wishun 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Meteor impacts, the moon has little atmosphere to protetct itself.
2007-10-04 16:58:15 · answer #7 · answered by Randy K 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Meteor impacts. The moon has no atmosphere so they don't burn up like they do here.
2007-10-04 16:53:18 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
meteor impacts because the moon doesn't have a atmosphere
2007-10-04 21:29:42 · answer #9 · answered by Tony R 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
LOOK AT ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That would be the debris from pro-to planets and left over chunks of rocks floating around as the moons gravity sucked them into it as it was created after the earth was hit by a large meteor billions of years ago.
2007-10-04 17:07:28 · answer #10 · answered by manyleapys 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋