Gassendi Crater

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The crater Gassendi stretches 110 km across and sits on the northern edge of Mare Humorum at 17.5 degrees South latitude and 39.9 degrees West longitude. Gassendi's floor is marked by a complex web of intersecting fractures known as Rimae Gassendi, with some of these massive cracks measuring thousands of meters wide. The exact cause of these fractures remains unclear, but scientists have proposed several theories. After the initial impact that formed the crater, its floor was molten and began to cool, forming a crust at the surface. As the entire floor continued to cool and settle into its final shape, it's possible that fractures developed due to the stresses caused by this process. This model has been enhanced with a 3x vertical exaggeration for visual effect.