Chandrayaan-1 may have just detected oldest impact basin on moon

For the first time, planetary scientists have confirmed the existence of a hidden impact crater on the lunar surface using mineralogical data obtained from Chandrayaan-1. This crater, known as the Australe Basin, could predate the oldest known impact craters on the moon.

A team of researchers from the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad identified the Australe Basin, which had remained untraced due to erosion along its rims. This erosion made it extremely difficult for modern imaging techniques to detect. Scientists estimate that there are approximately 300 impact basins on the moon, but only 74 have been detected so far.

Impact basins are formed on the lunar surface due to violent space activities, such as asteroid or meteorite impacts. These large craters can be several hundred kilometers in diameter and often have distinct outer rims. Due to these impacts, craters may also contain remnants of volcanic activity.

This new study, published in The Planetary Science Journal, has confirmed the location of the Australe Basin in the southeastern hemisphere of the moon. It exhibits distinct morphology, gravity signatures, and unique mineralogical compositions. PRL scientists believe that this basin could be older than the South Pole Aitken Basin, which was formed over 4 billion years ago.