How does the SPA event compare conceptually to the formation of features like Tycho or Copernicus craters?
Answer
The SPA is classified as a basin, indicating an impact powerful enough to fundamentally change crustal structure.
While Tycho and Copernicus are significant impact features typically referred to as craters, the South Pole–Aitken feature is categorized as a basin. This distinction signifies that the impact creating the SPA was so immensely powerful that it did more than just dig a hole; it drastically altered and restructured the shape and foundational layers of the Moon's underlying crust, representing a change in geological category.
Related Questions
What distinction does the South Pole–Aitken basin hold in the entire Solar System known to date?What is the approximate diameter stretching across the South Pole–Aitken basin?How deep does the South Pole–Aitken basin plunge below the surrounding plain?How does the material found within the SPA basin floor compare chemically to the Moon’s maria?What geophysical finding was detected deep underneath the gigantic South Pole–Aitken structure?Why was the South Pole–Aitken basin difficult to study clearly before the start of space exploration?What geological process resulted from the SPA impact's immense energy release early in lunar history?How does the SPA event compare conceptually to the formation of features like Tycho or Copernicus craters?Which specific crater, mentioned in the basin's name, is actually situated within the boundaries of the larger South Pole–Aitken basin?How does the SPA’s location and formation contribute to understanding the lunar dichotomy?