Rima Hyginus is
a spectacular fissure, some 220 kilometers long, found near the center of
the lunar near side. Easy to spot in telescopic views of the Moon, it
stretches top left to bottom right across this lunar closeup. The image was made with exaggerated colors that reflect the mineral composition of the
lunar soil. Hyginus crater lies near the center of the narrow lunar surface
groove. About 10 kilometers in diameter, the low-walled crater is a volcanic
caldera, one of the larger non-impact craters on the lunar surface. Dotted with
small pits formed by surface collapse, Hyginus rima itself was likely created
by stresses due to internal magma upwelling and collapse along a long surface fault. The
intriguing region was a candidate landing site for the canceled Apollo 19
mission.
Image & info via APOD
Image Credit & Copyright: Vincenzo Mirabella
Source: Rima Hyginus – Scents
of Science
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