Most of us know what an impact crater looks like. It's a round depression, except when it 's not. NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has spotted an unusual crater on the Red Planet using its HiRise camera , and researchers have been puzzled about how it might have gotten its shape .
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The crater, one of many found on Mars caused by incoming space rocks, is located in Noachis Terra, an area known for its impact craters and scenic sand dunes. Instead of being round like most, however, the crater flares out to one side. MRO spotted the formation in late January and it is image of the day.
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There are a few known explanations for the strange shapes of impact craters. Some have been carved by natural phenomena to have extreme angles, but this crater may be something else.
" Large volumes of material in the northeast and northwest corners appear to have slid into the crater ," wrote HiRise team member Shane Byrne , of the University of Arizona . " These collapses have extended the crater in these directions, giving it an elongated appearance ."
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At first glance, Mars may not seem all that active, especially compared to the dynamic changes we see constantly on Earth. But the red planet is subject to a number of events, from wind-induced erosion to crater collapses. It even has earthquakes. The slanted crater shows that Mars doesn't always follow the status quo of round craters.
