Join us for Skyscrapers' August Monthly Meeting

at 

Seagrave Memorial Observatory

Saturday, August 2, 2025

Featuring Dr. Andrea Rajsic, Brown University

Uncovering Lunar History Through Impact Craters by Dr. Andrea Rajšić

https://youtu.be/D1Ba1wCZQFc

Social hour at 6:30pm, Presentation at 7:00pm

Observing at 9:00pm, weather permitting

Abstract: Impact cratering is one of the most fundamental geological processes in the Solar System. Impact craters are present on all solid planetary bodies, and their morphology varies based on their size and the state of the body. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms that control crater formation can provide insights into the evolution of planetary bodies.  The Moon has preserved large impact basins, some with diameters up to ~2000 km, as well as craters as small as a few meters. This makes the Lunar surface an ideal place to study crater formation and its relation to the evolution of the planetary bodies in the Solar System.

In this talk, Dr. Rajšić will cover the fundamentals of impact crater formation and morphology. She will explain how studying large impact basins helps us better understand the Lunar interior evolution. Additionally, she will discuss how small, recently formed craters contribute to our knowledge of the lunar surface and why this information is necessary for planning future missions.

Bio: Dr. Rajšić is a LunaSCOPE postdoc at Brown University. Using numerical modeling techniques, she aims to understand the rock-weakening processes during crater formation on the Moon and Earth (iSALE-2D shock physics code). She completed her Ph.D. in Planetary Science at Curtin University in Western Australia. During her Ph.D., she was part of the Impacts Working Group in NASA's InSight Science team. She used numerical modeling of impacts on Mars and crater mapping to understand the Martian uppermost crust better.