Tag Archives: oblique impacts

HiRISE: Tangential craters in Ptolemaeus Crater

Posted on February 5, 2015 by rburnham

This image shows two small craters, just touching on their rims, in the much larger Ptolmaeus Crater, which is located in the Martian Southern hemisphere. These craters are called “tangential craters.” The more degraded and filled-in crater is approximately 3 … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Recent impact in Elysium Planitia

Posted on January 8, 2015 by rburnham

This image shows a new impact crater in Elysium Planitia that was first discovered by the Mars Context Camera (CTX, also onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter) which formed between February 2012 and June 2014. It appeared as a dark streak … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Weird crater

Posted on August 28, 2014 by rburnham

This feature has a strange appearance, as if the crater has feet with toes sticking out of two sides. Let’s try to explain this. First, there was a highly oblique impact event, with the bolide (or meteorite) striking the ground … Continue reading →

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THEMIS: Hecates Tholus

Posted on June 12, 2014 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, June 12, 2014. This VIS image shows part of the northern flank of Hecates Tholus, which is located on the northern part of the Elysium Volcanic Complex. More THEMIS Images of the Day by geological … Continue reading →

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THEMIS: Butterfly crater

Posted on June 4, 2014 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, June 4, 2014. Today’s VIS image shows the same crater as yesterday’s IR image. More THEMIS Images of the Day by geological topic.

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THEMIS: Butterfly crater

Posted on June 3, 2014 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, June 3, 2014. The ejecta pattern around this northern plains crater is termed “butterfly” for it’s similarity to butterfly wings. This type of ejecta pattern is common for oblique impacts. In this IR image the … Continue reading →

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