Explained: The Many Features Chandrayaan-3's First Picture Of The Moon Shows

Chandrayaan-3, currently in an orbit around the Moon, has beamed back the first image of the cratered sphere since its launch on 14 July.

The image, captured by the lander horizontal velocity camera (LHVC), one of the many imaging sensors on lander Vikram, a day after its lunar orbit insertion, shows a large part of the Moon — Oceanus Procellarum and the many impact craters in and around the region.

What Are Impact Craters?

Impact craters on the Moon are depressions or indentations on its surface that result from the collisions of meteoroids, asteroids, or comets with the lunar terrain.

These craters are formed when high-speed celestial bodies slam into the Moon's surface at tremendous velocities. The impact generates an enormous release of energy, causing the impacted material to be ejected outward in all directions.

Lunar impact craters serve as important windows into the Moon's geological history and the history of impacts in the solar system. Their study helps scientists understand the frequency of impacts, the processes involved in crater formation, and the potential risks posed by impact events on Earth and other planetary bodies.

Features on the lunar surface captured in the image:

1) Oceanus Procellarum

Oceanus Procellarum stands as a vast lunar mare positioned along the western periphery of the near side of the Moon.

Remarkably, it stands alone among the lunar maria in being designated an "Oceanus", a term denoting its substantial size.

Oceanus Procellarum reigns as the most expansive among the maria, spanning over 2,500 km along its north-south axis. This colossal expanse blankets an approximate area of 4,000,000 km square, thereby constituting about 10.5 per cent of the total lunar surface.

2) Aristarchus

Aristarchus Crater is one of the brightest and youngest impact craters on the Moon. It has a diameter of about 40 kilometres (25 miles) and is located on the southeastern edge of the Oceanus Procellarum.

The crater's central peak stands as high as 3.5 kilometres (2.2 miles) above its floor, showcasing the energy of the impact that created it.

The distinctive brightness of Aristarchus Crater's floor is attributed to the presence of relatively recent and pristine material exposed by the impact. This material is thought to be rich in anorthosite, a type of igneous rock that is more common in the lunar highlands.

Its young age is supported by the lack of significant cratering on its floor, indicating that it hasn't been eroded by subsequent impacts.

3) Raman Crater

Raman Crater is a notable lunar feature named after the Indian physicist and Nobel laureate Sir C V Raman. With a diameter of around 10 kilometre, the crater is situated on the western edge of a plateau within the expansive lunar mare known as Oceanus Procellarum.

This plateau is shared with other notable features like the lava-flooded Herodotus and Aristarchus to the southeastern side. Adjacent to Raman Crater in the northeast is the small peak named Mons Herodotus, while to the northwest stretches the long, narrow range called the Montes Agricola.

Upon observing the inner walls of Raman Crater, it becomes evident that they possess a higher albedo, or reflectivity, compared to the surrounding terrain. This is often interpreted as a sign of a relatively young formation.

4) Eddington Crater

Named after the British astronomer Sir Arthur Eddington, Eddington crater has a diameter of nearly 125 kilometre.

It stands as a remnant of a lunar impact crater that has been largely inundated by lava flows. Positioned on the western expanse of Oceanus Procellarum, Eddington's southern and southeastern rim has undergone significant erosion, leaving behind merely a few remnants of ridges and projections within the lunar mare. This transformation has rendered Eddington akin to a bay within the vast Oceanus Procellarum.

While any potential central peak that Eddington Crater might have once possessed is no longer discernible, its geological history is preserved in the intricate details of its eroded features.

5) Pythagoras Crater

Pythagoras crater, named after ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras, is situated near the northwestern edge of the Moon.

Positioned just northwest of the somewhat larger Babbage crater, Pythagoras possesses an oval shape due to the angle from which it's observed. While the Earth's view only captures the western interior, the opposite side remains constantly hidden from sight.

This crater boasts a well-preserved rim characterised by a broad terrace system and a subtle rampart along its outer boundary.

At the heart of Pythagoras, a distinctive, mountainous elevation with dual peaks rises, soaring 1.5 kilometres above the crater's floor.