'Man in the moon' created by bubbling magma not asteroid

Bubbling magma rather than an asteroid is likely to be behind the so-called 'Man in the Moon' image on its surface, researchers claim.

Scientists had thought the 1,800-mile wide section of the moon's Procellarum basin was caused by an asteroid crash.

But new research, published in the journal Nature, has revealed a large plume of magma rising up to the surface from deep inside the moon may have caused the famous flattered image on its surface.

Scientists at MIT, the Colorado School of Mines and other institutions worked together to create a high-resolution map of the Procellarum from data obtained from Nasa.

Maria Zuber, MIT's vice president for research, said the research shows that as cracks occurred, they formed a "plumbing system" in the moon's crust through which magma could meander to the surface.

Magma eventually filled the region's smaller basins, creating what we see today as dark spots on the near side of the moon. These are the features that have inspired the idea of a man in the moon.

But Ms Zumber says the mystery of the Man in the Moon has still not been completely solved despite this latest theory.

She added: "How such a plume arose remains a mystery. It could be due to radioactive decay of heat-producing elements in the deep interior. Or, conceivably, a very early large impact triggered the plume. But in the latter case, all evidence for such an impact has been completely erased.

"People who thought that all this volcanism was related to a gigantic impact need to go back and think some more about that."