The latest update on ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 moon mission reveals that scientists analyzing the mission and satellite images believe the Vikram lander may have touched down on the oldest crater on Zabili. A team of ISRO scientists from the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad stated that this crater, which measures about 160 km in diameter, was formed during the Nectarian period around 3.5 billion years ago, making it one of the oldest periods in the history of the Moon. These details were published in the science journal Icarus.
The landing area of Chandrayaan-3 is in a distinct geographical environment that no other mission has reached. Images of this region sent by the Pragyan rover on the lander provide insights into how the Moon has evolved over time, according to S Vijayan, Associate Professor of the Division of Planetary Sciences at the Physical Research Laboratory.
A crater is typically formed when a planetary fragment strikes a planet or a large surface, such as the Moon. Scientists stated that this ancient crater was formed in a similar manner and is located near the area where the Vikram lander landed.