Plato and the Lunar Alps

The dark-floored, 95 kilometer wide crater Plato (top) and sunlit peaks of the lunar Alps are highlighted in this sharp digital mosaic of the Moon's surface . While the Alps of planet Earth were uplifted over millions of years as continental plates slowly collided, the lunar Alps were likely formed by a sudden collision that created the giant impact basin known as the Mare Imbrium (Sea of Rains). The mare's generally smooth, lava-flooded floor is seen extending to the left. The prominent straight feature cutting through the mountain range (lower right) is the lunar Alpine Valley , about 160 kilometers long and up to 10 kilometers wide. Of course, the large, bright alpine mountain near bottom center is named Mont Blanc and reaches over 3 kilometers above the lunar surface. Lacking an atmosphere, not to mention snow , the lunar Alps are probably not an ideal site for the Winter Olympic Games. Still, a 150 pound skier would weigh a mere 25 pounds on the Moon .