NASA’s InSight lander recorded a magnitude 4 Marsquake on December 24, 2021, but scientists only recently connected it to a meteoroid strike that is currently estimated to be one of the biggest seen on the planet yet. The meteoroid also pulverized boulder-sized chunks of ice buried closer to the Martian equator than ever found before.
The Marsquake was connected to the meteoroid impact when scientists looked at before-and-after images from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and discovered a new, yawning crater. After studying the images and seismic data, NASA believes it’s one of the largest craters ever witnessed forming any place in the solar system. Speaking of Mars, when humans finally arrive, they’ll be able to use the planet’s soil to make geopolymer cement.
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It’s unprecedented to find a fresh impact of this size. It’s an exciting moment in geologic history, and we got to witness it,” said Ingrid Daubar of Brown University, who leads InSight’s Impact Science Working Group.
