According to a report by the US space agency NASA, the “InSight” probe, which landed on Mars in late 2018, registered a meteorite impact on the red planet, which caused a strong Mars quake. Analysis of the seismic waves reveals what it looks like beneath the surface of our neighboring planet.
As NASA now reports on its website, the meteorite hit Mars on December 24, 2021, leaving a crater about 150 meters wide. The impact of the cosmic chunk also triggered a magnitude 4.0 marsquake, which was recorded by the lander “InSight” – although it is more than 3,500 kilometers from the impact site.
Chunks of ice the size of boulders kicked up
Images of probes orbiting Mars show boulder-sized ice blown up on impact. This was not expected because the crater is located in one of the warmest regions of Mars. Until now it was believed that ice only exists in the polar regions of the red planet.
“Insight has been such an incredibly successful mission. We learned so much about the crust of Mars and the interior of the planet. Unfortunately, as you have learned, the mission is coming to an end. Now that’s a great ending. The probe says goodbye with a big bang,” NASA researcher Lori Glaze told the US Space Agency website.
Crater identified with before and after photos
When the researchers looked at before-and-after images (shown below) from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), they saw a new crater and realized that the Marsquake was the result of the meteorite impact. The meteoroid was calculated to be five to twelve meters high. The piece would have burned up in Earth’s atmosphere, but not in Mars’ thin atmosphere, which is only about one percent as dense as our planet.
The impact, in a region called Amazonis Planitia, creates a crater about 150 meters in diameter and 21 meters in depth. Some of the material that came out of the crater flew up to 37 kilometers away.
Probe landed on Mars at the end of 2018
“InSight” landed on Mars on November 26, 2018. The landing was preceded by the probe’s nearly seven-month journey through space. The researchers fear the lander’s mission will end in a few months as “InSight” solar panels (pictured below) are increasingly covered in dust.
According to NASA, “InSight” has recorded 1,318 Marsquakes since landing on Mars, including several caused by smaller meteorite impacts.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
