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Fractured Crater

deep grooves in gray lunar terrain
Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University
Published: November 17, 2018

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured this detailed look at the floor of Komarov crater on the far side of the Moon. The spectacular fractures that cut across the floor of Komarov, which is about 53 miles (85 kilometers) in diameter, were formed when magma rose from the mantle, uplifting and fracturing the crater in the process. In this case, the magma did not erupt to the surface, so the fractures remain visible. This image shows an area just over 9 miles (15 kilometers) wide.

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