News Planetary Science

Violent past revealed by map of moon’s interior

Gravity survey reveals churned-up layers just beneath lunar surface

By Alexandra Witze

- More than 2 years ago

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SAN FRANCISCO — The moon is cooling and shrinking today, but early in its history it actually got bigger, scientists have found.

MOON MAP A new lunar gravity map reveals huge rings around impact craters (red represents areas of high mass concentration; blue, low mass).