Large pits on the lunar surface, when examined with various observation instruments, are seen as large pits that are mistaken for sink holes.
However, these formations are not limited to the Moon; these are impact craters scattered throughout the Solar System, from planets to moons to asteroids.
These craters vary in size, and some can be as large as cities or small countries.
Impact craters form when space debris ranging from tiny dust particles to large rocks crash into a celestial body at high speed.
The impact not only leaves a large crater, but also ejects subsurface material in all directions, creating a beam system or pattern known as an ejecta.
Some of these craters are so large that they are called giant impacts. The importance of studying these craters goes beyond their physical properties;
They provide information about the dynamics and composition of planets.
Dr. Sarah T. Stewart details that the evolution of planets and life was greatly affected by these impacts.
For example, the Chixculub crater impact created by a 10-kilometer asteroid occurred 65 million years ago and caused a mass extinction on Earth.
The consequences after such an impact were horrific, creating sulfuric acid rain and a global dust cloud that wiped out 75 percent of Earth’s species. But these events also led to a shift in the scientific community about the role of impacts in the origin and facilitation of life on Earth.
Dr. Stewart observes a transformation in the perception of impacts; While these were seen as sterilizing powers, they are now being evaluated as potential elements that could contribute to prebiotic chemistry.
Considering the frequency of collisions during planet formation makes this view compatible with impacts that could increase the likelihood of life evolving.