By therandomsci / July 3, 2020
4 billion years ago newly formed moon is contently attacked by an asteroid. The crust was thinnest so molten lava seeps to the moon’s hot interior form giant pool and solidifies form scars that we see today from the earth.
The earth’s gravity holds moon so tightly that we can only see one side of the moon all time. Making the feature on the backside of the moon a complete mystery. In 1959 Russian spacecraft Luna 3 flies to the backside and photograph it for the first time.
Astronomer expected to see dark and light patches on the backside of the moon. But it didn’t happen it was saturated with craters and no spots were observed. It means that no lava had bled out onto the surface at all.
It was because there is a difference in the thickness between the crust of the front and the backside of the moon. The backside is so thick that the lave was not able to come up through them. Whereas in the front side moon crust is so thin that lava comes up very easily.
Why the crust of the backside is so thick?
The impact of Theia could have made two moons. According to the theory 4.5 billion years ago there were two moons in the night sky. The smaller moon chases the larger moon and mush together and the smaller moon covers the backside of the larger moon. Creating a new much thicker crust.
Fun Fact: During the collision, the moon gets a crater called ‘South Pole Aitken Crater’. One of the largest craters in the solar system. It is 2500 km in diameter and 13 km deep.
References:
How universe works
One strange rock
Photo credit:
https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/2/18165807/china-change-4-mission-lunar-lander-rover-moon-farside
https://www.universetoday.com/127139/127139/
https://www.space.com/27308-moon-ocean-of-storms-giant-rectangle.html
Leave A Comment