Double Impact Crater
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
Double Impact Crater
PSP_009619_1630  Science Theme: Impact Processes
This image shows a double impact crater in Syria Planum, and probably formed when a binary asteroid pair (two asteroids closely orbiting each other, while also orbiting the Sun) struck the surface. The asteroids must have been about the same size, on the order of a few hundred meters across, to produce these craters.

How is it possible to say that the double crater is due to a binary asteroid, instead of two independent impacts? Neither crater shows signs of burial by ejecta from the other. More importantly, the ejecta (material thrown out of the craters) shows signs of interacting; the ridges extending to the southeast of the crater probably formed when ejecta from the craters collided in midair, causing more debris to pile up at certain points. This means that the impacts occurred within moments of each other.

Ejecta interaction features like this can also form in association with "secondary" craters (craters made by debris from other impacts, rather than by asteroids), since many secondary craters form at once. In this case, however, a binary asteroid is the likely cause. The very large size is one indicator (secondary craters are generally much smaller than the "primary" crater), and there is not an obvious nearby source crater. While secondary craters are common, binary impacts are expected to occur as well, since binary asteroid pairs are observed.

This crater pair is also of geologic interest since it exposes a cross-section of the local rocks. Thin, flat layers are visible in the upper walls. Since this region has seen extensive volcanic activity, these may be a mix of old lava flows and other volcanic debris. Exposures like this provide evidence for the extent and thickness of these deposits.



Written by: Colin Dundas  (8 October 2008)
 
Acquisition date
15 August 2008

Local Mars time
15:30

Latitude (centered)
-16.928°

Longitude (East)
265.472°

Spacecraft altitude
251.9 km (156.6 miles)

Original image scale range
50.8 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~153 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
50 cm/pixel and North is up

Map projection
Equirectangular

Emission angle
8.0°

Phase angle
71.1°

Solar incidence angle
65°, with the Sun about 25° above the horizon

Solar longitude
112.8°, Northern Summer

For non-map projected images
North azimuth:  96°
Sub-solar azimuth:  42.6°
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
B&W label
Color label
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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

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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.