Chandrayaan-3 Discovers Ancient Buried Crater on Moon

Indian Space Research Organisation's lunar mission Chandrayaan-3 has landed in an ancient buried impact crater, approximately 160 km in size and 4.4 km deep, older than the South Pole Atkin basin. This was determined through analysis of images from the Pragyan rover's navigation camera and Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter’s high-resolution camera.

Indian lunar mission Chandrayaan-3 has made a groundbreaking discovery by landing in a buried impact crater on the Moon, which measures around 160 km in size and approximately 4.4 km deep. According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the crater is likely older than the South Pole Atkin (SPA) basin.

This revelation is based on the analysis of images obtained by the navigation cameras on Chandrayaan-3's Pragyan rover and Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter's optical high-resolution camera. Scientists from the Physical Research Laboratory and ISRO have published their findings in the peer-reviewed journal 'Icarus'.

The landing site of Chandrayaan-3 is located in the high-latitude highland region near the Moon's south pole, approximately 350 km from the SPA basin rim. This location has experienced complex geological processes, including the emplacement of SPA basin ejecta and various other impact events over time. The Pragyan rover's camera provided clues about the site's formation, revealing linear, groove-like structures formed from distant impacts.

(With inputs from agencies.)