The Moon’s south pole hides a 4-billion-year-old secret

A colossal northern asteroid impact billions of years ago likely shaped the Moon’s south polar region and explains its uneven terrain. Researchers found that the South Pole-Aitken Basin formed from a glancing northern strike, revealing deep materials from the Moon’s interior. This discovery sheds light on how KREEP elements gathered on the near side, driving volcanic activity. Artemis astronauts may soon uncover samples that rewrite lunar history.