NASA's InSight Lander detects enormous crater left by meteoroid impact
What's the story
NASA's InSight Lander has explored the aftermath of a massive meteoroid attack on Mars. The meteoroid impacted a region called Amazonis Planitia, creating a nearly 500-feet wide crater, which was imaged by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). Several large craters are already present on Mars, but scientists believe that this crater is one of the largest to have formed anywhere across the solar system.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Mars is no stranger to meteoroid attacks and the red planet already has several craters. The latest finding from the martial Lander has several implications. It not only sheds light on the geographical features on Mars but also reveals the presence of life-supporting elements. Furthermore, the discovery of subsurface ice might be a deciding factor for future manned missions to Mars.
Twitter Post
You can listen to the impact of the meteoroid attack!
A multi-sensory impact 💥@NASAInSight recorded a magnitude 4 marsquake when a meteoroid struck the Red Planet last year. Later, cameras on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spotted the new crater from above. https://t.co/ffCRtr9CsS pic.twitter.com/jVpg36bSuh
— NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) October 27, 2022
Investigation
The marsquake provided a hint to the crater
The Lander detected a marsquake on December 24, 2021. The crater was later discovered on February 11, 2022 by scientists who operate cameras on MRO. "The image of the impact was unlike any I had seen before, with the massive crater, the exposed ice, and the dramatic blast zone preserved in the Martian dust," said Liliya Posiolova, lead scientist who operates cameras onboard MRO.
The discovery
The meteorid attack gouged out ice from the Martian equator
The pictures from MRO revealed that a large crater had been formed after the meteoroid strike. The crater measured 492-feet in width and 70-feet in depth. Such craters can also expose materials present beneath the surface. For instance, the massive space rock 'excavated boulder-size chunks of ice' present near the Martian equator. The elaborate two-part investigation has been published in the journal Science.
Information
Why are these findings important?
"Establishing the rate at which craters appear on Mars is critical for refining the planet's geologic timeline," said NASA. "Buried ice has never been spotted this close to the Martian equator, which, as the warmest part of Mars, is an appealing location for astronauts."
Details
Why Mars sees more meteorite attacks than Earth?
The size of the meteoroid that hit Mars is approximated to be between 16 to 39 feet. The debris resulting from the impact landed almost 37km away. Had the space rock targeted the Earth, it would have easily burned up in the atmosphere. However, because Mars' atmosphere is only 1% as dense as Earth's, meteoroid strikes are not uncommon on the red planet.
Information
The Lander has detected 1,318 marsquakes so far
The Insight Lander probes the crust, mantle, and core layers on Mars, taking cue from seismic waves. Since its landing on November 2018, the spacecraft has detected 1,318 marsquakes, several of which were triggered by meteoroid attacks. The mission will be terminated in six weeks.