Planetary process
Impact Cratering History
The record of impacts written across a planet's surface, and the way it is read: because craters accumulate over time, a more heavily cratered surface is older. Counting craters is the main way the ages of surfaces across the Solar System are estimated.
Highlights
- ›Dating a surface by counting its craters
Worlds, layers & processes
Knowledge connections
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.