An impact can dig a hollow called a crater. A raised rim surrounds many craters. Another impact can cut across that rim later. Look for places where one edge interrupts another. This helps put events in order, even when we do not know their ages in years.
Space · Discover & try
What can overlapping craters tell us?
Reading level 1 of 5 · EarlyChange
Word help
Rim
The raised edge around a crater.
Relative age
Whether one event occurred before or after another.
Ejecta
Material thrown out from an impact site.
Watch · Try · Explain
See how it works
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Real NASA image plus a separate original overlap model; the drawing does not simulate crater physics or numerical ages.
What to look for
- Distinguish real image from original model.
- Find an interrupted rim.
- Avoid using crater size as an age clock.
Explain what you noticed
In a different diagram, crater Q cuts across crater R’s rim. Which event happened later?
Keep this idea: A crater that cuts an older crater’s rim formed later, while erosion can hide evidence.
Follow the sources
- NASA Space Place — What Is an Impact Crater?
- NASA Space Place — Why Does the Moon Have Craters?
- NASA — Korolev Basin on the Far Side of the Moon
Source material checked 2026-10-28. Explanations and activities by Nepedia. Source links do not imply endorsement.
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