Picturing the Ancient Moon

The lunar surface has seen dramatic changes throughout its existence, but it may have looked a bit familiar beginning about 3.8 billion years ago.

By Joshua Rapp Learn
Dec 31, 2021 6:00 AMDec 31, 2021 6:01 AM
imbrium basin moon
(Credit: Lukasz Pawel Szczepanski/Shutterstock)

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All in all, the moon looks pretty sprightly despite its 4.5 billion years of age. Forget the craterlike pockmarks and freckles — the Earth’s close companion is still pretty enough to inspire songs, poetry, paintings and even the timing of mating seasons within the animal kingdom.  

“The moon is of the Earth. I think everyone has an emotional connection, whether they think so or not,” says Amanda Nahm, a program officer in NASA’s Planetary Science Division. 

But did the moon always look this picturesque? If humans were around 2 billion years ago, would they have glimpsed the same iconic features? 

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