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Meteoroid impact reveals ice beneath the surface of Mars

NASA, the United States space agency, released on Thursday (27) images of a crater formed after a meteoroid impact on the surface of Mars, which ended up revealing ice below the surface of the Red Planet. The material was published in the scientific journal Science.

According to the scientists, the size of the cavity is 10 times larger than those usually found on the planet, and the meteoroid was probably around 5 to 12 meters wide. Estimates indicate that the crater is 150 meters in diameter and 21 meters deep (the equivalent of an approximately seven-story building). Some of the material ejected by the impact flew up to 37 kilometers away, according to NASA.

In addition, the impact generated a magnitude 4 tremor. As the researchers explained, on Earth, this is equivalent to an earthquake that could be felt, but would not cause much damage, but Mars is a planet with little seismic activity.

The agency was then able to capture the seismic data with the lander InSight and image the impact site with a satellite. Scientists consider it a rare record, which can only be seen again in “decades or generations”.

The meteoroid fell on December 24, 2021, but the data was released to the public on Thursday. Scientists located the crater in February of this year, and called the impact one of the biggest since they began exploring Mars.

As NASA explained in a press conference, these celestial bodies hit the planet “all the time”, but an event of the size recorded in this case is something rare.

Listen to the impact log:

surface ice

The researchers showed excitement at the revelation of ice after impact. They pointed out that they have encountered frozen water before, but the fact that the meteoroid has “excavated” more of the surface is encouraging.

In addition, it was the closest place to the “Equator” of Mars where ice was found.

See the 3D animation of the crater:

According to the researchers, in addition to information about the planet, this discovery is important for planning space exploration, and may, in the future, even be used by astronauts, being transformed into water, oxygen, among other elements.

During the briefing, scientists were asked whether the ice had been carried away by the meteoroid. They explained that the evidence indicates that, given the magnitude of the impact, it is not expected that much material from the celestial body would be “left over” on the surface.

End of InSight mission

The surface robot that captured the meteoroid impact is part of the InSight mission. It launched on May 5, 2018 and landed on the Red Planet on November 26 of the same year.

But after four years, the exploration is nearing an end. Due to the accumulation of dust on the solar panels, the robot is having difficulties to operate, being inoperative for as long as possible to save energy.

NASA scientists estimate that between four and eight weeks there will not be enough power left for it to stay on.

Still, they classified the mission as an “immense success”, which overcame challenges such as the very soil of the planet.

Since landing in November 2018, InSight has detected 1,318 seismic activity, including several caused by smaller meteoroid impacts.

Image shows dust accumulation on the InSight spacecraft on Mars

Source: CNN Brasil

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