The Grand Canyon, a masterpiece of nature, took millions of years to form, as water persistently carved its way through rock, shaping the breathtaking landscape we see today. In stark contrast, two massive lunar canyons emerged in mere minutes, sculpted by the unimaginable force of cosmic impact.
These lunar canyons, forged in the aftermath of a colossal asteroid or comet collision, tell a story of rapid transformation. The violent impact sent shockwaves through the moon’s surface, hurling debris at incredible speeds and gouging out immense chasms, as revealed by new research in the journal Nature Communications.
“This was an extraordinary event, followed by a cascade of smaller impacts that carved these canyons in roughly ten minutes,” explains a scientist from a leading planetary research institute. “It would have been an unforgettable sight—though certainly not one to witness from the lunar surface. A vantage point at a safe distance would have offered a spectacular view of the unfolding chaos.”
These canyons, named Vallis Schrödinger and Vallis Planck, lie on the moon’s far side, hidden from direct view on Earth. Stretching over 165 miles in length and plunging more than 1.5 miles deep, they remain a testament to the moon’s violent history.
“These formations are extraordinary, almost secretive in their mystery, as they reside in the remote lunar South Pole region,” the researcher adds. The strikingly linear canyons radiate from a circular crater known as the Schrödinger impact basin, which itself was created by a powerful collision approximately 3.8 billion years ago.
To uncover the secrets of this ancient impact and its dramatic aftermath, a dedicated team of planetary scientists meticulously studied high-resolution images from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Their analysis mapped the crater, the canyons, and the extensive deposits of rock ejected in the explosion, providing new insights into the moon’s geological past.
This research not only deepens our understanding of the moon’s evolution but also sheds light on the powerful forces that shape celestial bodies throughout the universe. The contrast between Earth’s gradual erosion and the moon’s sudden cataclysmic transformations is a vivid reminder of the diverse processes that sculpt the landscapes of the cosmos.