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Space

A single meteorite smashed into Mars and created 2 billion craters

The debris from the formation of a relatively small crater on Mars created billions of additional craters, which could help us learn about Martian geology

By Leah Crane

14 March 2024

Heavily cratered highlands on the surface of Mars

The Martian surface is heavily cratered

Stocktrek Images, Inc. / Alamy

When a single small meteorite struck Mars a few million years ago, it didn’t just create one crater. It ultimately created billions of them. The main crater, called Corinto, is just under 14 kilometres across, but the debris from that meteorite collision formed about two billion additional craters, called secondaries.

When a meteorite slams into the ground, it can blast a huge plume of rocks into the air. When these rocks fall back down, they create their own smaller craters, often in chains and clusters around the original…

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