ON THE SURFACE

The surface of the Moon is about contrasts: light and dark, hot and cold

The landscape of the Moon is dominated by three main features: maria, terrae and craters. The basalt maria appear dark due to their high iron content and are much more prevalent on the near side of the Moon. Other volcanic features on the surface include domes and rilles. Domes are shield volcanoes that are round and wide with gentle slopes, while rilles are twisting sinuous formations caused by channels of flowing lava. The lighter areas on the Moon are called terrae, or lunar highlands. They are made up of anorthosite, the type of igneous rock that dominates the overall crust of the Moon. While this type of rock can be located in some places on Earth, it’s not generally found on the surface due to plate tectonics and deposits. These…

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All About Space Annual (Digital) - 1 Issue, All About Space Annual (2024)

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