Hexagon Crater

Scaled Image

Image Credit: NASA/JPL/ASU

About this image

This image is located along the margin between Terra Cimmeria and Elysium Planitia. This boundary region is typified by tectonic fractures forming long, linear depressions. The crater in the lower half of the image has a hexagon shape rather than the normal circular outline. The regional surface/subsurface fracture system deflected the impact generated pressure waves along the tectonic network, causing the linear sides we see in the image. Meteor Crater in northern Arizona has a similar flat sided shape, in that case a square rather than a hexagon. The Arizona crater impacted into sandstone and limestone that had a right angle fracture system.

Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images. 

Context

Image ID: 
V78210003 (View data in Mars Image Explorer)
-7.13006
147.811
78210
2019-08-02 02:56
Wed, 2019-09-11
VIS
512 pixels (18 km)
1824 pixels (64 km)
0.035299 km/pixel
0.0354466 km/pixel

Downloads

PNG | JPEG (high res) | JPEG (reduced res) | PDF | TIFF