The Floor of Tycho

The Floor of Tycho, a photo by Lunar and Planetary Institute on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Tycho is of great scientific interest because it is so well-preserved. It is a great place to study the mechanics of how an impact crater forms. This area is on the floor of Tycho, near its central peak. The peak is thought to be material that has rebounded back up after being compressed in the impact, and though it's a peak now, it originated at greater depth than any other portion of the crater. The floor of the crater is covered in impact melt - rocks. The rocks were heated to such high temperatures during the impact event that they turned to liquid, flowed downslope across the floor, pooled, and cooled. ASU-IPF-3063