<p>One criterion that works well is the presence or absence of smaller craters inside. If the crater is clean, it's probably new. If it's full of smaller craters, it's old. This applies to planets and satellites with no atmosphere, or with a rarefied atmosphere.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-08T01:09:56.743Z
Crater morphology is more direct,right?
questionhang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-08T15:15:32.073Z
This only gives relative age, but no Idea about absolute age. To get this you have to actually go there and get samples.
AtmosphericPrisonEscape
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-08T18:23:46.347Z
You could also estimate the rate of bombardment in that place and that would give an indication of the age of the crater
Florin Andrei
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-15T04:18:30.517Z
@atom  we can derive the ages of many craters in a non-direct way. For most of them, we are not able to get a sample now.
questionhang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-07T17:28:44.827Z
2015-07-07T17:28:44.827Z
Florin Andrei
<p>Based on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crater_counting" rel="nofollow">Wikipedia</a>, we can estimate the age of a planet's surface.</p>

<p>How to tell <strong>a particular crater</strong> is newly formed or not? It may have sharp edge.</p>

<p>Different astronomical objects may have different kinds of environments which may make this more complicated.</p>

<p>Are there any peer-reviewed papers?</p>

<crater><age>
How to tell a crater is old or not?
questionhang
# How to tell a crater is old or not?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-07-07)

Based on [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crater_counting), we can estimate the age of a planet's surface.

How to tell **a particular crater** is newly formed or not? It may have sharp edge.

Different astronomical objects may have different kinds of environments which may make this more complicated.

Are there any peer-reviewed papers?

**Tags:** crater, age

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-07-07. Score: 4

One criterion that works well is the presence or absence of smaller craters inside. If the crater is clean, it's probably new. If it's full of smaller craters, it's old. This applies to planets and satellites with no atmosphere, or with a rarefied atmosphere.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Crater morphology is more direct,right?  
> **username_2**: This only gives relative age, but no Idea about absolute age. To get this you have to actually go there and get samples.  
> **username_1**: You could also estimate the rate of bombardment in that place and that would give an indication of the age of the crater  
> **username_0**: @atom  we can derive the ages of many craters in a non-direct way. For most of them, we are not able to get a sample now.  

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