CNN —Jupiter’s moon Ganymede may have shifted on its axis when a massive asteroid smashed into it about 4 billion years ago, according to a new study.
Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system, is even bigger than Mercury and the dwarf planet Pluto.
The crater left behind on Ganymede was 25% the size of the Jupiter moon, according to the study.
Understanding how the impact altered the moon could reveal insights into its intriguing internal structure, Hirata said.
“I want to understand the origin and evolution of Ganymede and other Jupiter moons,” he said.
Persons:
”, Naoyuki Hirata, Hirata, what’s, mission’s, It’s, Adeene Denton, Denton, “, we’re
Organizations:
CNN, Mercury, Kobe University, Pluto, Laboratory, University of Arizona, Sputnik
Locations:
Japan, Chicxulub, Mexico