Chandrayaan-3 finds 160 km massive crater on moon, redefining lunar history

India’s lunar mission Chandrayaan-3 has uncovered a major discovery right next to its landing site on the south pole of the Moon. The active lunar surface explorer Pragyan rover found a huge crater about 160 kilometers in diameter.  This finding was highlighted by scientists from the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad and has been documented in a detailed report published on Science Direct.

What does this crater reveal? 

The discovery of such a large crater near the south pole is a key scientific achievement for India’s space program. The data collected by the Pragyan rover is crucial for better understanding the Moon’s topography and geological history. The scientists at PRL are of the opinion that such findings could unlock new secrets about the Moon’s formation and the history of impacts it has endured over millions of years.

This major discovery took place as the Pragyan rover navigated the highland terrain near its landing site, around 350 kilometers from the South Pole-Aitken basin, the Moon’s largest and oldest impact basin. The crater is believed to have been formed prior to the South Pole-Aitken basin, making it one of the Moon’s oldest geological features. Over time, much of the crater has been buried under debris from subsequent impacts, especially from the South Pole-Aitken event, making its existence gradual.

Chandrayaan-3 in Lunar research

The Chandrayaan-3, which landed on the Moon in August 2023, has been among India’s third lunar missions and has gained much acclaim because it successfully reached the south pole of the Moon,an area previously unexplored. Scientists believe this area would contain a lot of water ice, and the mission intended to study its composition, among other features.

The crater discovery adds to the wonderful contribution of the mission with regards to lunar research. Scientists have begun scrutinising the data from the Pragyan rover, giving an increasingly better view of what the surface of the Moon looks like and what processes have shaped it.

Each passing day reinforces India’s role as a major player in space exploration and showcases something valuable to the general understanding of Earth’s closest celestial neighbour.

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