Book 8, Question 38
Why Does the Moon Have Craters?
The Moon has craters because asteroids and comets smashed into it for billions of years! With almost no air or weather to erase the scars, craters stay as cosmic footprints. The Moon is a permanent crater museum!
More fun facts
- A crater forms when an asteroid, meteoroid or comet, usually moving faster than the speed of sound, slams into the Moon.
- We can see thousands of craters on the Moon, but we know of only about 180 on Earth.
- The Moon has almost no erosion, so its craters stay sharp for a very long time.
- Most of the Moon's giant basins formed about 3.9 billion years ago, during a time called the Late Heavy Bombardment.
- Scientists call the Moon's craters a cosmic guestbook, a record of how our solar system was shaped.
Sources: NASA Science, NASA Space Place
Questions kids ask
How fast do space rocks hit the Moon?
Usually faster than the speed of sound.