Copernican period

Copernican
1100 – 0 Ma
Chronology
Usage information
Celestial bodyEarth's Moon
Time scale(s) usedLunar Geologic Timescale
Definition
Chronological unitPeriod

The Copernican Period in the lunar geologic timescale runs from approximately 1.1 billion years ago to the present day. The base of the Copernican period is defined by impact craters that possess bright optically immature ray systems. The crater Copernicus is a prominent example of rayed crater, but it does not mark the base of the Copernican period.

The Copernican System on the near side of the Moon (Wilhelms, 1987)
The Copernican System on the far side of the Moon (Wilhelms, 1987)

Copernican age deposits are mostly represented by crater ejecta, but a small area of mare basalt has covered part of (and is thus younger than) some of the rays of the Copernican crater Lichtenberg, and therefore the basalt is mapped as Copernican age.[1]

  1. ^ Wilhelms, Don E.; McCauley, John F.; Trask, Newell J. (1987). "The geologic history of the Moon". USGS. Professional paper 1348.