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Massive underground structure discovered beneath the Moon’s South Pole-Aitken basin

Planetary scientists have identified an anomalous mass deep under the South Pole-Aitken basin on the lunar far side. The structure is estimated to weigh 2.18 billion billion kilograms and reach depths exceeding 300 kilometers. Researchers suggest the mass may be remnants of the asteroid that formed the crater.

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New data reveals the specific weight and depth of the underground structure.

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  1. Massive Structure Found Beneath Moon's South Pole-Aitken Basin

    Planetary scientists have identified an anomalous mass deep under the South Pole-Aitken basin on the lunar far side. The structure is estimated to weigh 2.18 billion billion kilograms and reach depths exceeding 300 kilometers. Researchers suggest the mass may be remnants of the asteroid that formed the crater.

    What's confirmed:

    • The South Pole-Aitken basin is one of the largest preserved craters in the solar system and is located on the far side of the moon.
    • The underground structure weighs 2.18 billion billion kilograms.
    • The structure extends more than 300 kilometers in depth.
    • The discovery was made using data from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory mission.

    Still unconfirmed:

    • The structure may contain metal from the asteroid that created the basin.
    • The detected mass weighs down the entire basin floor by almost a kilometer.
    • The structure's mass might be from the asteroid that formed the crater.
    • The basin formed from a glancing northern strike.
    confidence 90%