Grand Canyons on the Moon
How Grand Canyon-sized lunar-valleys could have been carved in mere minutes
The Schrödinger impact crater sits near to the Moon’s south pole. Sprouting off it are two canyons — called Vallis Schrödinger and Vallis Planck — each comparable in size to the Grand Canyon here on Earth. These were formed when debris, thrown up by a meteor or comet hitting the Moon, crashed back into the surface.
Now, analysis suggests that these high-energy streams of rock could have excavated the canyons in under ten minutes.
Understanding this area of the Moon is important as the region has been selected for investigation as part of NASA’s Artemis missions.
Research article: Grand Canyons on the Moon
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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-00263-4
This story originally appeared on: Nature - Author:Dan Fox
