Alex McColgan

Fracture lines from rapid cooling are evident all over.

and looking at where the walls meet the crater base, you can easily imagine how this base was once a liquid.

Let's have a look at one last image.

This area is known as Mons Carpetus, and what's immediately apparent here are the variations in contrast again.

Generally speaking, looking at darker regions on the Moon indicates older material, but it also indicates what the material is comprised of.

The darkest regions in this image are thought to have formed from explosive volcanic activity over 3 billion years ago.

Lava would have also flown down through valleys like these ones.

Also sprinkling the surface are white dots.

These are small impact craters, and appear white as they are a lot more fresh than the surrounding regions, and space weathering hasn't had an opportunity to darken them yet.

The Moon

Earth's natural satellite, orbiting approximately 384,000 km away.

A celestial object that scientists have studied for thousands of years, using its regular motions to mark the passage of time in calendars.

Its dependable rhythms helped ancient civilizations to track when to plant crops, and its waxing and waning faces cemented the moon's place deep in the heart of symbol and tradition.

It's a wonder, a necessity, and a curse.

While the moon's desolate beauty has captured the vision of poets, it also brings desolation.

There is one lunar rhythm that is not helpful to us, a 19-year cycle that brings unexpected floods and ruin.

And NASA scientists are worried that in the middle of the 2030s is about to hit its hardest yet.

For ecosystems that are adapted to it in the right way, this won't be a problem.

But how adapted are we?

I'm Alex McColgan and you're watching Astrum.