News The scars of impacts on Mars

[Notebook]

Not sure if its space flight news, but it could be...

http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMTK5VTLKG_index_0.html

4 March 2011
ESA’s Mars Express has returned new images of an elongated impact crater in the southern hemisphere of Mars. Located just south of the Huygens basin, it could have been carved out by a train of projectiles striking the planet at a shallow angle.

Impact craters are generally round because the projectiles that create them push into the ground before the shockwave of the impact can explode outwards. So why is this one elongated?

So many questions, so little time.


N.

 

[Hlynkacg]

Perhapse (whatever it was) struck at a shallow enough angle to bounce?

 

[Notebook]

Could be, but why haven't we seen anyyhing like it on the Moon?

N.

 

[Scruce]

So why is this one elongated?

The Public Response: It was aliens!!!! :uhh:

 

[jedimaster1214]

Could be, but why haven't we seen anyyhing like it on the Moon?

N.

Yes we have:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_(crater)

 

[RisingFury]

Long elliptical craters on Mars are thought to be low angle impacts of captured satellites. From what I understand, it's relativelly easy for Mars to capture an asteroid and also to have it drop out of orbit and crash. There are 200 or so such craters on Martian surface IIRC.

 

[Izack]

The Noachian must have been an especially interesting time to be a Martian...