Moore F Crater

Moore F is a 15-mile (24-kilometer) wide impact crater on the far side of the Moon with signs both of fiery youth and slow aging. One estimate places the crater age at 40 million years – that is young as lunar craters go.

The central elevated landform is at center right, but what really grabs scientists' attention are the impressive wall collapse features that bury the cracked impact melt in the western and southern parts of the crater. Tongues of debris extend northeast and east toward the crater center. Could the central elevated landform and wall collapses be related?

The Sun was sinking toward the western (left) horizon when the LROC NAC instrument about NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured this image from orbit 150 kilometers above Moore F. The high western rim and extensive wall collapse features cast deep shadows.

See more, including a 3D anaglyph of this crater ›