The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has captured an impressive picture of a fresh impact crater near Sirenum Fossae, a trough in the Memnonia quadrangle of Mars.
This image of an impact crater in the Sirenum Fossae region of Mars was taken by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on March 30, 2015. Image credit: NASA / JPL / University of Arizona / Alfred McEwen.
“When we say ‘fresh,’ we mean on a geological scale,” HiRISE mission scientists noted.
“The crater is quite old on a human scale,” they added.
The crater is approximately 3,300 feet (1-km) wide and appears relatively recent as it has a sharp rim and well-preserved ejecta.
The steep inner slopes are carved by gullies and include possible recurring slope lineae on the equator-facing slopes.
“The bedrock lithology is also diverse,” HiRISE scientists said.
‘Fresh’ craters often have steep, active slopes, so the scientists are monitoring this crater for changes over time.
