Imbrium Basin

The Imbrium Basin is a large, ancient impact crater on the Moon formed about 3.9 billion years ago when a space object collided with its surface. This collision created a massive, bowl-shaped depression, known as a basin, which is over 1,100 miles (1,800 kilometers) across. The impact also caused mountain ranges and basaltic plains, called mare, to form within the basin. Imbrium is one of the most prominent features on the Moon's near side and provides insight into the Moon's early geologic history and the history of impacts in our solar system.