Observing Mars from orbit can help us understand the history of the planet, as recent MarsExpress images of an impact crater show.
While rovers visiting the surface of Mars are invaluable research tools for understanding surface chemistry and other questions, observing Mars from orbit can help us understand the planet’s history — as recent images of a martian impact crater show.
“The fossae were created as the summit of Alba Mons rose in elevation, causing the surrounding surface to become warped, extended, and broken,” ESA explains. “The Tantalus Fossae faults are a great example of a surface feature known as grabens; each trench formed as two parallel faults opened up, causing the rock between to drop down into the resulting void.”
The large crater shown in the images can be helpful in dating the grabens features. The crater would have been caused when a chunk of rock or ice came streaming through the thin atmosphere and hit the planet, throwing up debris and creating a shock wave that forms a circular shape in the surface rock. The force of this impact would obliterate any surface features which existed there previously.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Mars was wet more recently than we thought, according to Chinese roverWe thought Mars lost its liquid water about 3 billion years ago, but an analysis of rocks by China’s Zhurong rover suggests the planet was wet more recently
Read more »
Mars Wrigley issues recall of several gummy candies due to metal strandsThe company says there could be a thin metal strand inside the candies or loose in the bag.
Read more »
Welcome to Mars: I own everything, have total privacy and life has never been betterWill life on Mars be better? andrarchy, CEO of TheKoinosGroup, imagines a world based solely on decentralized technologies.
Read more »
Call of Duty's Godzilla vs. Kong event doesn't match the hype | Digital TrendsWarzone's latest Operation Monarch event was a step in the right direction, but misleading marketing made it a disappointing experience.
Read more »
How new digital payment trends are driving innovation in ecommerceInsider tells the global tech, finance, markets, media, healthcare, and strategy stories you want to know.
Read more »