NASA scientists say an almost perfectly preserved crater on the moon should yield clues to the evolution of impact craters on Earth and other rocky bodies.
The focus of their attention is the Linne Crater, a small -- just 1.4 miles wide -- but extremely young crater formed just 10 million years ago, SPACE.com reported Tuesday.
Moon craters don't erode as quickly as those on Earth, which are reshaped relatively quickly by wind and water, but Linne is remarkably preserved even for a Lunar crater, unmarked by any subsequent impacts.
A recently released NASA video highlights how the shape of Linne and its surrounding could reveal how craters start out on Earth and Mars before the effects of weathering begin.
"Without craters like Linne on the moon, we wouldn't know how landforms evolve over time in the presence of weather, climate change and other factors," the video's narration says.
Data and images of Linne were gathered by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
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