NASA’s MRO spotted a goofy crater on Mars, but scientists may have an explanation for why it’s out of round.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
This story is part of Welcome to Mars, our series exploring the red planet.
Everyone knows what an impact crater looks like. It’s a round divot, except when it’s not. NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter trained its HiRise camera on an unusual crater on the red planet, and researchers have puzzled through how it likely got its shape.
The crater — one of many on Mars caused by incoming space rocks — is located in Noachis Terra, a region known for impact scars and scenic sand dunes. Instead of being pleasingly round, the crater is bulging out to one side. MRO snapped the formation in late January and it’s a HiRise picture of the day for Monday.
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There are some known explanations for weird impact crater shapes. Some have been carved out at extreme angles, but this crater might have something else going on.
“Large blocks of material in the northeast and northwest corners look like they have slid into the crater,” wrote HiRise team member Shane Byrne of the University of Arizona. “These collapses have extended the crater in those directions, giving it an oblong appearance.”
At first blush, Mars may not seem that active, especially compared with the dynamic changes we constantly see on Earth. But the red planet has its share of happenings, from wind-driven erosion to collapsed pits. It even has marsquakes.
The lopsided crater shows Mars isn’t content with the status quo (see this wild crater triplet also found in Noachis Terra). Sometimes, those formations can take a detour into Funkytown.
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