Brush Strokes of Ejecta

Ejecta with a subtle chevron texture drapes the northern lunar highlands. The ejecta is pockmarked by few small craters, suggesting it is from a recent impact. LROC NAC M170937919R, image width is 500 m [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

What created the chevrons in today's featured image? Chevron textures like these are secondary results of impacts. As ejecta is thrown out of its parent crater, the ejecta crashes back into the surface creating secondary craters and small linear streams of locally derived immature material. Even better, the chevrons created during this process point back towards their parent crater! These features are not scale dependent, as we observe chevrons on both small and large craters.

Context image of today's featured image, located within the red square. Image width is 100 km [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

So if these chevrons were formed from a recent impact, where is the parent crater? The context image doesn't reveal any obvious choices, but they could be outside of this image. Try looking for potential candidates using the LROC quickmap (don't forget to change the projection for the north pole)!

Are there more ejecta deposits within the full NAC frame?

Related Posts: Ejecta Blanket

Ejecta from Van de Graaff Crater

Published by Drew Enns on 20 October 2011

Ejecta Highland