Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera

 

Aristarchus Rille

Sinuous rilles formed from massive outpourings of molten lava. This example originates on the Aristarchus Plateau and is the largest on the Moon; it extends for over 150 km, is 4 km wide, and over 500 m deep at its midpoint. It is also distinguished by a rille within a rille, telling the story of an initial massive eruption of very fluid magma that carved the larger channel and then later a smaller eruption that formed the smaller channel.