The lunar canyons Vallis Schrödinger and Vallis Planck are extraordinarily deep, and scientists now know the valleys were carved by bullet-fast moon rocks.

The Earth's Grand Canyon took millions of years to carve, but the moon's grand canyons took about ten minutes.

Scientists proposed an explanation for the formation of Vallis Schrödinger and Vallis Planck near the lunar south pole, which are each about the size of Earth’s Grand Canyon.

Now, scientists believe that they have figured it out. Two huge canyons scored into the surface of the Moon were created in the wake of a giant impact – and, in stark and jaw-dropping contrast to the Grand Canyon, their creation could have taken less than 10 minutes.

"When the impacting asteroid or comet hit the lunar surface, it excavated a tremendous volume of rock that was launched into space above the lunar surface before it came crashing

New research shows that when an asteroid slammed into the moon billions of years ago, it carved out a pair of grand canyons on the far side

New research shows that when an asteroid slammed into the moon billions of years ago, it carved out a pair of grand canyons on the lunar far side.

Using energy greater than the global nuclear weapons inventory, an impact event carved two grand canyons into the moon’s surface, and the asymmetrical distribution could clear the way for future lunar missions.