NASA researchers claim two massive canyons on the far side of the moon were formed within less than 10 minutes, about 3.8 billion years ago, likely due to a giant impact. The canyons, comparable in size to Earth’s Grand Canyon, are located near the lunar south pole and pose an obstacle for NASA’s Artemis III mission, scheduled to land humans there in late 2026. Initial estimates suggest the energy released during this event was 1,200 to 2,200 times more powerful than a nuclear explosion planned for excavating the Panama Canal. The study used photogeologic mapping and calculations to determine the trajectory of the impacting asteroid or comet, which created an asymmetrical pattern of crater excavation and debris transport.
Source: https://boingboing.net/2025/02/10/massive-lunar-canyons-formed-within-minutes-most-likely-due-to-asteroid-strike.html