Saturday, February 8

New Impact Crater on Mars

Earlier this week NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory reported on a new impact crater on Mars.  The crater was spotted last November using the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera.  The impact happened sometime between July 2010 and May 2012.

About 100 feet in diameter, the crater produced a beautiful spread of colors, including an odd powder blue that you would not associate with Mars.  In the accompanying text, JPL explains "Because the terrain where the crater formed is dusty, the fresh crater appears blue in the enhanced color of the image, due to removal of the reddish dust in that area."