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PIA04809: Fresh Impact Crater
 Target Name:  Mars
 Is a satellite of:  Sol (our sun)
 Mission:  Mars Global Surveyor (MGS)
 Spacecraft:  Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter
 Instrument:  Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)
 Product Size:  1031 x 1547 pixels (w x h)
 Produced By:  Malin Space Science Systems
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA04809.tif (900.7 kB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA04809.jpg (207.2 kB)

Click on the image above to download a moderately sized image in JPEG format (possibly reduced in size from original)

Original Caption Released with Image:

MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-522, 23 October 2003

This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) picture shows a young, fresh meteor impact crater in southeast Arabia Terra acquired in August 2003. The crater is inferred to be young because it still has a finely detailed pattern of rays associated with its ejecta. These rays formed in a dusty mantle that covers the other craters and rocky terrain at this locale. The crater is young enough that there has not been sufficient time for new dust to cover the rays, or for winds to erase them. The small dark dots associated with the crater are boulders. The boulders were ejected by the impact event. This crater is located near 6.9°S, 317.1°W. The picture covers an area approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and is illuminated by sunlight from the lower left.

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

Image Addition Date:
2003-10-23