Which lunar feature is rugged, bright highland terrain that is older than the maria?

Which lunar feature is rugged, bright highland terrain that is older than the maria?

• A. Highlands
• B. Craters
• C. Mare
• D. Rilles

Answer: (A)

The Moon has two main surface types: the bright, rugged highlands and the dark, smooth maria. The highlands are older because they were formed early in the Moon’s history and have many craters from the heavy bombardment era, giving them a jagged, bright appearance. The maria came later when molten basalt flooded large basins, filling in craters and creating smoother, darker plains. So the rugged, bright highland terrain that is older than the maria is the highlands. Craters are individual features, maria are the dark plains, and rilles are channel-like troughs, so they don’t match the description as well.

The Moon has two main surface types: the bright, rugged highlands and the dark, smooth maria. The highlands are older because they were formed early in the Moon’s history and have many craters from the heavy bombardment era, giving them a jagged, bright appearance. The maria came later when molten basalt flooded large basins, filling in craters and creating smoother, darker plains. So the rugged, bright highland terrain that is older than the maria is the highlands. Craters are individual features, maria are the dark plains, and rilles are channel-like troughs, so they don’t match the description as well.