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A Massive Asteroid Crashed Into Mars 2.3 Million Years Ago, Leaving Two
Billion Craters on Its Surface: Study
By Ankush Banerjee16 hours agoTWC India
A big crater south of Victoria on Mars (NASA/JPL/ASU)
Representational image of Mars' craters
(NASA/JPL/ASU)

Approximately 2.3 million years ago — a mere speck in its total lifespan
of 4.5 billion years — a colossal impactor had the misfortune of
crashing into our neighbour, Mars. This monumental cataclysm left an
enduring imprint on its surface, forever changing the face of the Red
Planet.

At the heart of this celestial drama lies the Corinto crater, a titan
spanning a massive 14 kilometers in diameter, nestled within the
expansive plains of Elysium Planitia around Mars’ equator. Not only are
impacts of such scale a rare sight on the Red Planet, scientists have a
reason to believe the event might be the reason two billion acne-like
scars inexplicably dot the Martian crust.

Using data meticulously collected by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter,
a new study has suggested that all of these mini-craters might be all
connected to the Corinto impact. After the first giant asteroid crashed
into Mars, the resultant splintered-off fragments might have created
these fascinating holes to the south of Corinto.

To delve deeper into the phenomenon, scientists classified these
secondary craters into distinct "facies" based on their shape and
distance from the main crater. Interestingly, they found that the
closest holes were semi-circular, while the farther ones were long and
narrow — all standard hallmarks that these holes were probably created
by the fractured-off bits of the giant asteroid.

The size and shape of these craters offered a great amount of insight
into the velocities and trajectories of not only the ejected debris, but
also the main impactor. The study found that the direction towards which
its fragments were flung suggests that the initial asteroid might have
crashed into Mars from its North side, and at an oblique angle of
30-45°. The mystery rock was possibly made of some type of robust
basaltic material — a type of rock made from the rapid cooling of lava.

Perhaps the most important implication of this discovery is the fact
that it adds another feather to the Martian ancient water theory.
Corinto’s floor, embedded a kilometre below the surrounding landscape,
is littered with a labyrinth of fascinating pits and depressions. The
authors believe that these might have formed when heat from the impact
superheated the erstwhile water-ice that covered the Red Planet,
completely vapourising all gas within them, and leaving gaping
200-metre-wide holes in their wake.

As we delve deeper into the mysteries of the Red Planet, the Corinto
impact serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring impact of cosmic
collisions on planetary evolution.

The findings of this research are yet to be published in a peer-reviewed
journal.

**

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