Small Rayed Crater
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
Small Rayed Crater
PSP_005336_1620  Science Theme: Fluvial Processes

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This observation shows a small rayed crater formed by impact of a meteoroid, likely a small asteroid, on the surface (see subimage; 2196 x 1442; 3 MB). (An impacting comet could produce the same feature, but asteroid impacts are expected to be more common on Mars). This crater has rayed ejecta preserved around it, forming linear streaks and striations away from the crater. Rays provide some information about the impact event, particularly the direction of the impactor.

In this case, the impacting asteroid approached from the northeast. The rays are relatively short and sparse in the uprange direction (the direction from which the impactor came) and long downrange. In addition to relatively fine material, boulders were ejected from the crater; the largest of these are also found on the downrange side.

Written by: Colin Dundas  (26 September 2007)
 
Acquisition date
16 September 2007

Local Mars time
14:16

Latitude (centered)
-18.041°

Longitude (East)
210.772°

Spacecraft altitude
259.6 km (161.3 miles)

Original image scale range
26.2 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~79 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
25 cm/pixel and North is up

Map projection
Equirectangular

Emission angle
6.5°

Phase angle
38.9°

Solar incidence angle
32°, with the Sun about 58° above the horizon

Solar longitude
314.7°, Northern Winter

For non-map projected images
North azimuth:  97°
Sub-solar azimuth:  0.5°
JPEG
Black and white
map projected  non-map

IRB color
map projected  non-map

Merged IRB
map projected

Merged RGB
map projected

RGB color
non-map projected

JP2
Black and white
map-projected   (1494MB)

IRB color
map-projected   (591MB)

JP2 EXTRAS
Black and white
map-projected  (676MB)
non-map           (941MB)

IRB color
map projected  (304MB)
non-map           (654MB)

Merged IRB
map projected  (387MB)

Merged RGB
map-projected  (369MB)

RGB color
non map           (645MB)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
B&W label
Color label
Merged IRB label
Merged RGB label
EDR products
HiView

NB
IRB: infrared-red-blue
RGB: red-green-blue
About color products (PDF)

Black & white is 5 km across; enhanced color about 1 km
For scale, use JPEG/JP2 black & white map-projected images

USAGE POLICY
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:
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

POSTSCRIPT
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. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.