Describe a crater and how it is formed. Why do some craters contain maria?
The process of crater formation and the reason why some craters contain maria.
Answer to Problem 1QFR
Crater is the numerous circular pits that are in the bright area with a raised rim and the central peak. It is formed by asteroids or meteorites colliding on Moon’s surface. When larger bodies hit the Moon’s surface before its interior solidified, craters with maria are formed.
Explanation of Solution
Craters are the bright areas with large circular pits. It formed when the surface of the Moon is hit by asteroids and meteorites and splashing the surface, as a raindrop falling into water, creating a circular pit with central peak and raised rim. The diameter and the depth of the crater depends on the velocity and the mass of the bodies that struck the Moon’s surface.
When larger bodies struck the surface of the Moon before the interior of the moon undergone complete solidification, a much deeper crater is created and molten lava comes out of the Moon’s interior and fills the surface. Eventually, this area is cooled and this area is called maria.
Conclusion:
Crater is the bright area with numerous circular pits, raised rim and the central peak. It is formed by asteroids or meteorites colliding on Moon’s surface. When larger bodies hits the Moon’s surface forms craters with maria.
Want to see more full solutions like this?
Chapter 7 Solutions
EXPLORATIONS:INTRO.TO...(LL)-W/ACCESS
- Explain how high-speed impacts form circular craters. How can this explanation account for the various characteristic features of impact craters?arrow_forwardThe lunar highlands have about ten times more craters in a given area than do the maria. Does this mean that the highlands are 10 times older? Explain your reasoning.arrow_forwardThe Moon did not pass through all of the four stages of planetary development. True or false? Explain your answer.arrow_forward
- Why are there so many impact craters on our neighbor world, the Moon, and so few on Earth?arrow_forwardIf all life were destroyed on Earth by a large impact, would new life eventually form to take its place? Explain how conditions would have to change for life to start again on our planet.arrow_forwardWhy do astronomers conclude that the surface of Mercury, shown in Figure UN 15-4, is old? When did the majority of those craters form?arrow_forward
- Why did it take so long for geologists to recognize that the lunar craters had an impact origin rather than a volcanic one?arrow_forwardExplain the evidence for a period of heavy bombardment on the Moon about 4 billion years ago.arrow_forwardProvide evidence to support a hypothesis about whether or not the Moon has plate tectonics.arrow_forward
- We believe that chains of comet fragments like Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9’s have collided not only with the jovian planets, but occasionally with their moons. What sort of features would you look for on the outer planet moons to find evidence of such collisions? (As an extra bonus, can you find any images of such features on a moon like Callisto? You can use an online site of planetary images, such as the Planetary Photojournal, at photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov.)arrow_forwardWhy are there so many craters on the Moon and so few on Earth?arrow_forwardHow Do We Know? How can the flow of energy out of a planets interior affect its surface and atmosphere?arrow_forward
- Foundations of Astronomy (MindTap Course List)PhysicsISBN:9781337399920Author:Michael A. Seeds, Dana BackmanPublisher:Cengage LearningAstronomyPhysicsISBN:9781938168284Author:Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. WolffPublisher:OpenStax
- An Introduction to Physical SciencePhysicsISBN:9781305079137Author:James Shipman, Jerry D. Wilson, Charles A. Higgins, Omar TorresPublisher:Cengage LearningHorizons: Exploring the Universe (MindTap Course ...PhysicsISBN:9781305960961Author:Michael A. Seeds, Dana BackmanPublisher:Cengage Learning