Moon outdoes Grand Canyon

The Aristarchus crater is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. Photo / Nasa

A Nasa orbiter has returned close-up pictures of a crater on the moon that's twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, the Daily Mail reports.

The Aristarchus crater has 3km-high, mineral-layered walls. It can be seen from Earth with the naked eye.

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter flew within 25km of the moon's surface. The crater was created when a comet or asteroid hit a plateau on the moon's surface.

It's not fully understood how granite formed on the moon - and the crater is considered one of the best places to study it.