{{short description|Geologic period, 3920 to 3850 million years ago}} {{Infobox geologic timespan | name = Nectarian | manual_color = rgb(228.0, 83.0, 18.0) | top_bar = Lunar | time_start = 3920 | time_end = 3850 | image_map = | caption_map = | image_outcrop = | caption_outcrop = | image_art = | caption_art = <!--Chronology--> | timeline = Lunar periods | former_subdivisions = | formerly_part_of = | partially_contained_in = | partially_contains = <!--Etymology--> | alternate_spellings = | synonym1 = | synonym1_coined = | synonym2 = | synonym2_coined = | synonym3 = | synonym3_coined = | former_names = | proposed_names = <!--Usage Information--> | celestial_body = Moon | usage = | timescales_used = Lunar geologic timescale | used_by = | formerly_used_by = | not_used_by = <!--Definition--> | chrono_unit = Period | strat_unit = | proposed_by = | lower_boundary_def = | lower_stratotype_location = | upper_boundary_def = | upper_stratotype_location = <!--Atmospheric and Climatic Data--> | o2 = | co2 = | temp = | sea_level = }} The '''Nectarian Period''' of the lunar geologic timescale was from 3.920 billion years ago to 3.850 billion years ago. It is the period during which the Nectaris Basin and other major basins were formed by large impact events. Ejecta from Nectaris form the upper part of the densely cratered terrain found in lunar highlands. The period ended with the formation of the Imbrium basin, which initiated the Imbrian Period.<ref name=Liu_Guo_2018/> Magnetic anomalies found in some Nectarian Period basins suggest that the Moon possessed a core dynamo magnetic field at that time.<ref name=Hood_2011/>
{{Timeline_Lunar_Geological_Timescale}}
==References== <!--<nowiki> See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref> and </ref> tags, and the template below. </nowiki>--> <references>
<ref name=Liu_Guo_2018>{{cite encyclopedia | title=Lunar geological timescale | last1=Liu | first1=J. | last2=Guo | first2=D. | encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of lunar science | year=2018 | pages=1-3 | url=https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Dijun-Guo/publication/324568484_Lunar_Geological_Timescale/links/5fd1d7cb45851568d150c43a/Lunar-Geological-Timescale.pdf | access-date=2024-09-01 }}</ref>
<ref name=Hood_2011>{{cite journal | title=Central magnetic anomalies of Nectarian-aged lunar impact basins: Probable evidence for an early core dynamo | last=Hood | first=Lon L. | date=February 2011 | journal=Icarus | volume=211 | issue=2 | pages=1109–1128 | doi=10.1016/j.icarus.2010.08.012 | bibcode=2011Icar..211.1109H }}</ref>
</references>
{{moon-stub}} {{geology-stub}} Category:Nectarian Category:Lunar geologic periods