Reserve Free Passes Membership

Tycho Crater

Download Image

Tycho Crater
Tycho is one of the best preserved near side impact craters. Its strikingly bright rays of ejected material radiate outward for great distances. They can be seen with even a small telescope.

This oblique view highlights Tycho's young, sharp rim. The enormous heat of impact caused molten rock to flood the crater floor. The large terraces on the walls formed when large blocks of crustal rock slid down into the crater. They caused tsunamis of molten rock that left "high-water" marks toward the lower left of the central peak.

Image ID: M181286769LR
Camera: NAC
Image width: 105 km (65 mi.)

ID#:

M181286769LR

Source:

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/Arizona State University

Copyright:

NASA/GSFC/ Arizona State University

Rights Usage:

Contact NASA/GSFC/ Arizona State University

Terms of Use:

Smithsonian Terms of Use