Lunar Impact Simulator

Launch Lunar Simulator

Role

Designer/developer of an educational lunar impact crater simulator with documented physics models.

Challenge

Students struggle to connect impactor mass, velocity, and angle to crater morphology. A classroom tool needed transparent physics, not a black-box animation.

Approach

Implemented crater diameter and depth models from Holsapple–Schmidt / Melosh / Pike scaling relationships, with simple vs. complex crater morphology, gravity scaling for Earth mode, and documentation for classroom discussion and validation checks.

Outcomes

An interactive impact simulator that supports astronomy and planetary science instruction with scientifically grounded outputs students can explore and critique.

Overview

The Lunar Impact Simulator calculates crater dimensions from projectile mass, velocity, and impact angle using established planetary science scaling laws. Learners can explore lunar and Earth modes and see how parameters change crater size and morphology.

Source

Highlights

  • Gravity-regime diameter scaling with angle coupling
  • Simple vs. complex crater depth models
  • Earth-mode gravity scaling
  • Documented references (Holsapple, Melosh, Pike, Collins et al.) suitable for teaching discussion

Instructional use

Useful in astronomy and planetary science contexts where students need to reason about kinetic energy, gravity, and crater morphology beyond a purely visual demo.