Why are there craters in the moon?

Answer 1

There are two reasons why the Moon (like other moons, and Mercury) has so many craters, and both are related to its lack of an atmosphere.

1) There is no atmosphere to prevent small-to-medium meteors from striking the surface. On Earth, only the largest and densest meteors can make it to the surface without vaporizing or exploding.

2) There is no volcanic activity, or oceans, or winds on the Moon. On Earth, scars from impacts would be lost due to continental drift, volcanic activity, or simple weathering by water, air, and plants.

So what you see on the Moon are some of the BILLIONS of collisions with it over BILLIONS of years. Only a few are weathered by solar activity on the rocks, and a much larger number erased by later impacts at the same locations.

Answer 2

Without an atmosphere to protect it from incoming debris(most stuff aimed for Earth simply burns up before it reaches the surface) it gets more hits. And without an atmosphere or flowing water there's no erosion to wear down the pockmarks.

Answer 3

The Moon has no atmosphere so asteroids can easily hit the Moon causing craters. Some of the Moon's mountains may of been created through asteroids. The Moon's surface is like a very fine sandy material wich is why craters on the Moon can get so big growth of mountains on the Moon is unknown to me.

Answer 4

The moon has no atmosphere therefore meteoroids do not burnt or fragment, prior to hitting the moons surface.

On Earth meteor craters quickly become disguised as weather erosion and foliage camouflage the site of impact. The lack of atmosphere on the moon means that once the impact crater has been made the evidence of it never disappears over time.

Recently the use of powerful telescopes has shown that the tracks of the lunar lander and even the footprints of astronauts from the 1970's are still visible on the moons surface.

Answer 5

The craters we see on Mars and the moon (and other bodies) are caused by impacts by meteors. There is no atmosphere on the moon and very little on Mars

Earth also has craters but due to erosion by the atmosphere and weather they disappear over time. One very obvious crater on earth is the Great Barriger Crater in Arizona. A (fairly) recent one which has not had time to erode.

Answer 6

It is hit by at least five meteors a year.

Answer 7

Craters are produced by asteroids and comets crashing into the moon at high speed.

Answer 8

Because in the past previous asteroids and meteors have collided with the moon and therefore craters have appeared.

In addition there is no atmosphere or water to erode them