Splitting of the Moon

The Splitting of the Moon (Arabic: انشقاق القمر, romanized: Anshiqāq al-Qamar) is a miracle in the Muslim faith attributed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It is derived from Surah Al-Qamar 54:1–2 and mentioned by Muslim traditions such as the asbāb al-nuzūl (context of revelation).

wikipedia/en/Splitting%20of%20the%20Moon

NASA has confirmed that the Moon has surface cracks resulting from its internal cooling and shrinking, a process that creates stresses and causes the lunar crust to contract. These stresses, combined with Earth’s gravitational pull creating lunar tides, lead to the formation of new cracks and the expansion of existing ones, as documented by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). These features, such as shallow trenches and curved ridges, are geologically young and still active today.

Causes of Lunar Cracks

• Shrinking Interior: The Moon’s interior has been cooling and contracting since its formation, causing its outer layer (the crust) to shrink and become stressed.
• Earth’s Gravitational Pull: Earth’s gravity tugs on the Moon, causing it to deform and creating tidal forces that stretch and pull at the lunar crust.
• Tidal Forces: The combination of internal contraction and external tidal forces from Earth’s gravity creates new cracks and causes existing ones to grow.
• Asteroid Impacts: Large asteroid impacts can also create extensive fractures in the lunar surface.

How We Know

• Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO): NASA’s LRO has provided high-resolution images of these features, revealing a surface that is far more fractured than previously thought.
• GRAIL Mission Data: The GRAIL mission also provided detailed lunar gravity maps, showing a less dense and more porous lunar crust, which was consistent with the idea of extensive fracturing from impacts.

Types of Lunar Cracks

• Wrinkle Ridges: These are curved hills and shallow trenches formed as a result of the contracting lunar surface.
• Lobate Scarps: These are also curved hills that form on the Moon’s surface.
• Graben: These are trenches that form when the surface expands or separates.