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New Frontiers in Solar System Exploration (2003) / Chapter Skim
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Cratering and Planetary Evolution
Pages 14-15

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From page 14...
... Indeed, an early, key advance in the understanding of shaping of planetary environments was the realization that these impacts are not merely catastrophic accidents but instead constitute a fundamental process in planetary formation and evolution. For example, a variety of data strongly supports the idea that a Mars-size object struck the primordial Earth, resulting in the formation of the Moon and setting Earth on a distinctive evolutionary path.
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From page 15...
... The largest lunar impact structure, this basin occupies the lower two-thirds of the image of the Moon's southern polar region shown on page 14. Pole-Aitken Basin may have a substan- Another benefit of the South Pole tial effect on our understanding of the Aitken Basin Sample Return mission is evolution of planetary interiors.
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Key Terms

  • basin sample
  • impact structure
  • internal structure
  • return mission
  • lunar samples

  • southern polar
  • giant excavation
  • actual ages
  • deepest impact
  • crust rose

  • additional heat
  • easy target
  • facing earth
  • return techniques
  • poleaitken basin

  • strongly supports
  • magma ocean
  • lunar impact
  • south poleaitken
  • science questions

  • south pole
  • questions addressed
  • radioactive elements
  • surface materials
  • diverse rock

  • themes addressed
  • setting earth
  • considerable uncertainty
  • evolution include
  • heatproducing radioactive


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