A new study reveals that two massive canyons on the Moon, the Schrödinger and Planck valleys, were formed in a mere 10 minutes by a colossal impact event billions of years ago.
The impact, which occurred approximately 3.8 billion years ago, was caused by a 25-kilometer-wide meteorite, possibly an asteroid or a comet. The impact created a massive crater, 320 kilometers in diameter, known as the Schrödinger basin. The energy released was 130 times more powerful than the combined nuclear arsenal of the entire world.
The impact also ejected a massive amount of debris, which formed two long, deep valleys, Schrödinger and Planck, stretching for 270 kilometers and reaching depths of up to 3.5 kilometers. These valleys are comparable in width to the Grand Canyon and even deeper.
The study, published in Nature Communications, used detailed satellite imagery to reconstruct the trajectory of the debris and its velocity. The researchers discovered that the meteorite was moving away from the lunar south pole at the time of impact, explaining why the debris was ejected in that direction.
The impact event provides valuable insights into the early history of the Moon and Earth. The Schrödinger basin is considered a prime analog for the Chicxulub crater, formed by the meteorite that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.
The study also has implications for future lunar missions. The impact event cleared the landing site for NASA's Artemis 3 mission, exposing ancient rocks dating back to the earliest stages of the Moon's formation.