Fractured Crater
![Deep grooves in gray lunar terrain. The effect looks similar to cracked or wrinkled clay.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Komarov.png?w=4096&format=png)
NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University
November 17, 2018
Credit | NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University |
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NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured this detailed look at the floor of Komarov crater on the far side of the Moon. The spectacular fractures that cut across the floor of Komarov, which is about 53 miles (85 kilometers) in diameter, were formed when magma rose from the mantle, uplifting and fracturing the crater in the process. In this case, the magma did not erupt to the surface, so the fractures remain visible. This image shows an area just over 9 miles (15 kilometers) wide.