Recent Pesquisas data indicate that the largest impact ever recorded in Lua dispersed material from the lunar mantle towards the south pole billions of years ago. The event shaped the South Pole-Aitken basin, a colossal structure more than 2,000 kilometers in diameter located on the far side of the satellite. Simulações computational investigations suggest that samples collected by Artemis astronauts near the south pole may contain fragments excavated from deep layers of the lunar interior, offering unique data about the satellite’s original composition.

Asteroide hit Lua at a shallow angle 4.3 billion years ago

A different asteroid measuring around 260 kilometers in diameter would have collided with Lua on an oblique trajectory, approximately 30 degrees inclined, at a speed of 13 kilometers per second. Durante the impact, the upper portion of the object detached in a process called decapitation, while its dense core continued the movement and deformed the surface without completely penetrating it. Essa’s north-south trajectory explains the elongated, tapered shape of the South Pole-Aitken basin, a feature that vertical impacts or impacts at other angles cannot reproduce.

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The impact removed and ejected rocks from depths greater than 90 kilometers, sending some of this material to the southern edge of the basin. The resulting structure has a depth varying between 6 and 8 kilometers at different points, consolidating itself as the oldest landmark preserved in Sistema Solar.

Simulações tested multiple collision scenarios

• Asteroide differentiated with an iron core and rocky mantle reproduced the observed crustal structure.
• High-speed, right-angle Impactos generated craters that were more circular and too deep.
• Apenas the oblique trajectory explained the asymmetry and tapered shape of the basin.
• The complete process of crustal collapse and flow lasted approximately three hours in the model.

Equipes research team ran three-dimensional models with variations in impactor size, speed and angle. The asteroid’s metallic core contributed to asymmetric deformation without completely destroying the local crust. The results combine topography, gravity and composition data obtained by lunar orbiters, reinforcing the accuracy of the simulations.

Amostras from the lunar mantle brings unprecedented scientific potential

Astronautas of Artemis III and subsequent missions plan to land in regions near the lunar south pole. Simulations indicate that these locations lie within the ejection zone of the South Pole-Aitken basin, making it possible to collect material from the lunar mantle. Cientistas expects the samples to contain a unique composition from the lunar interior, a type of fragment that has rarely reached Terra to date.

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The material would help understand the internal differentiation of Lua and the thermal evolution after its formation. Amostras from the lunar mantle would yield data on the original composition of the satellite and help calibrate the chronology of impacts at the beginning of Sistema Solar. Determinar the exact age of the basin refines models about late heavy bombardment, a critical period in the history of early Sistema Solar.

Lunar Exploração Gains Additional Scientific Relevance

The lunar south pole was already a priority target for Artemis missions because of the presence of ice in permanently shadowed craters, an essential resource for future human bases. With this discovery, the region has extraordinary potential for studying the lunar interior, significantly increasing the scientific value of exploration. Astronautas will be able to collect rocks and regolith on extravehicular walks, with laboratory analyzes on Terra identifying chemical and isotopic signatures of the mantle.

Future Orbitadores may map in greater detail the distribution of ejecta across the South Pole-Aitken basin. The combination of data collected in situ and remote observations will strengthen scientific conclusions and consolidate understanding about the beginnings of Lua and Sistema Solar.