How are impact craters formed on the Moon?

Impact craters are circular depressions formed when smaller objects strike a solid astronomical body at hypervelocity. Unlike volcanic craters created by internal collapse or explosions, impact craters typically feature raised rims and lower floors. They range in size from microscopic pits to vast, complex multi-ringed basins.

What we know

• An impact crater is a depression formed in the surface of a solid astronomical body by the hypervelocity impact of a smaller object. [2]
• Unlike volcanic craters, impact craters typically have raised rims and floors that sit lower in elevation than the surrounding terrain. [2]
• Impact craters range dramatically in size from microscopic craters found on lunar rocks to simple bowl shapes and vast, complex multi-ringed impact basins. [2]
• Meteorite impact craters are common on bodies like the Moon, but are relatively rare on Earth due to active surface geological processes. [2, 3]

Where to go next

• how it workedWhat distinguishes complex craters from simple bowls?
• compared withWhy are meteorite impact craters rare on Earth?
• a case in pointWhat is Meteor Crater in Arizona?
• whenWhen did intense early bombardment occur in the Solar System?
• the bigger pictureHow do volcanic craters differ from impact structures?
• an unexpected connectionWhy do some lunar samples contain microscopic impact traces?Returned lunar rocks display microscopic craters spanning the absolute smallest end of the impact crater size spectrum.

Sources

• [1]impact crater (Wikidata Q55818) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Impact crater · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Crater · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Complex crater · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Meteor Crater · CC BY-SA 4.0