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Meteorites and the Craters on the Moon

Nature volume 139, pages 655–657 (1937)Cite this article

Abstract

SEVERAL views have, from time to time, been put forward to explain the origin of the remarkable series of shallow craters on the surface of the moon. One of these is that they were formed by the impact of meteorites. Two main objections to this view have been frequently stated. It is said that all meteorites would not have fallen in a direction perpendicular to the surface to produce craters of a circular outline: many must have fallen obliquely and formed oval craters. Again, it is often asked: Why is the earth's surface not pock-marked in the same fashion? A study of meteorite craters and of meteoritic showers1 on the earth's surface shows that both these objections are without justification.

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References

  1. Details are given in recent papers in the Mineralogical Magazine, and abstracts of recent literature in Mineralogical Abstracts

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Authors
  1. L. J. Spencer
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Spencer, L. Meteorites and the Craters on the Moon. Nature 139, 655–657 (1937). https://doi.org/10.1038/139655a0

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