This image shows a small rayed impact crater, about 160 meters (530 feet) in diameter, in the Tharsis region in the northern hemisphere of Mars.

Relatively recent impacts form rays of ejecta that spray out radially from the crater. In addition to relatively fine material, large boulders and smaller secondary craters are visible in the rays surrounding this crater.

Secondary craters are recognized by their shallow depths (in comparison to primary craters), irregular shapes, and appearance in clusters and linear chains.
Written by: Maria Banks

All of the images produced by HiRISE and accessible on this site are within the public domain: there are no restrictions on their usage by anyone in the public, including news or science organizations. We do ask for a credit line where possible: Image: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona. The image data were processed using the U.S. Geological Survey’s ISIS3 software.