Age of Luna 24 mare basalts based on crater studies
Abstract
It is pointed out that the recent return of regolith material from Mare Crisium by Luna 24 has provided an opportunity to test the existing knowledge of lunar impact-flux history. A geological map of the Luna 24 landing site is provided and a graph is presented showing the cumulative size frequency of craters on the three major mare units in the vicinity of the Luna 24 landing site. On the basis of crater frequency and spectral reflectance data, it is suggested that the mare basalts sampled by Luna 24 are similar in age and composition to those sampled by Apollo 15.
- Publication:
-
Nature
- Pub Date:
- January 1977
- DOI:
- 10.1038/265038a0
- Bibcode:
- 1977Natur.265...38B
- Keywords:
-
- Basalt;
- Lunar Craters;
- Lunar Maria;
- Lunik Lunar Probes;
- Petrology;
- Geochemistry;
- Lunar Landing Sites;
- Lunar and Planetary Exploration