The craters on the Moon are all nearly circular. Why is this?
A)Most of the craters on the Moon were formed by volcanoes, and this results in circular craters.
B)It is believed that the objects that formed the impact craters on the Moon's surface all struck the Moon approximately perpendicular to its surface, and this would result in circular craters.
C)The objects that produced the impact craters came in at a variety of angles, but the craters were actually made by the shock waves generated by impact-and this results in circular craters.
D)The objects that produced the impact craters had been rounded by many previous collisions in space, and round objects produce circular craters regardless of their direction of impact.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The craters on the Moon are nearly all circular because the shock waves generated by impacts spread out from the point of impact in all directions equally, creating circular craters, regardless of the angle at which the impacting object hit the Moon's surface.

The Craters on the Moon Are All Nearly Circular