PIA04809: Fresh Impact Crater


Fresh Impact Crater

Caption:

MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-522, 23 October 2003

This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) picture shows a young, fresh meteor impact crater in southeast Arabia Terra acquired in August 2003. The crater is inferred to be young because it still has a finely detailed pattern of rays associated with its ejecta. These rays formed in a dusty mantle that covers the other craters and rocky terrain at this locale. The crater is young enough that there has not been sufficient time for new dust to cover the rays, or for winds to erase them. The small dark dots associated with the crater are boulders. The boulders were ejected by the impact event. This crater is located near 6.9°S, 317.1°W. The picture covers an area approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and is illuminated by sunlight from the lower left.

Cataloging Keywords:

Name Value Additional Values
Target Mars
System
Target Type Planet
Mission Mars Global Surveyor (MGS)
Instrument Host Mars Global Surveyor
Host Type Orbiter
Instrument Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)
Detector
Extra Keywords Crater, Dust, Grayscale, Impact
Acquisition Date
Release Date 2003-10-23
Date in Caption 2003-10-23
Image Credit NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems
Source photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04809
Identifier PIA04809