Large impact craters and the moon's orientation

Details Large impact craters and the moon's orientation Large impact craters and the moon's orientation

Jul 1975

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1975e%26psl..26..353m&link_type=abstract

Earth and Planetary Science Letters, vol. 26, no. 3, July 1975, p. 353-360.

Other

24

Celestial Mechanics, Impact Acceleration, Lunar Craters, Orbit Perturbation, Orientation, Cratering, Lunar Evolution, Lunar Rotation, Lunar Tides, Moments Of Inertia

Scientific paper

This paper investigates the idea that large impact events have caused the moon to change its orientation in space. It is found that the very largest impact events, such as those which formed Imbrium and Orientale, probably did reorient the moon. This reorientation is primarily due to the change in the moon's moments of inertia consequent upon crater formation. The impulse delivered by the impact can at most unlock the moon's synchronous rotation for a few thousand years, and is thus not of major importance. The moon will attain its new orientation in less than a few times 10,000 years as a result of tidal friction. Since the large craters eventually are filled by isostatic rebound and extrusive igneous activity, the moon may eventually regain its original orientation unless other phenomena cause new changes in the distribution of mass on its surface.

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