A 200-tonne meteorite crashed into Mars, leaving a crater 21m deep

A meteorite weighing several tens of tons has crashed on Mars, causing a gigantic crater. Details.

NASA announced on Thursday, October 27 that a huge meteorite had crashed into Mars , during a press conference that all astronomy enthusiasts were impatiently awaiting.

Diffuse in direct south You Tube , the event was attended by more than 100,000 people curious to find out what the American space agency had to say.

And the least we can say is that they were not disappointed because NASA provided many details on this collision which dates back to December 24, 2021.

photo credit: Nasa

A 200-ton meteorite crashed into Mars on December 24, 2021.

That day, a 200 ton meteorite hit the surface of the planet red. According to the seismometer of the InSight mission, which has been exploring Mars for 4 years, two major impacts have been spotted and the larger of the two has caused a crater 150 meters in diameter and 21 meters deep. ' Some debris flew up to 37 kilometers “, also indicates NASA in a press release.

This is the first time that such an impact has been observed on the surface of Mars. It is therefore a ' major discovery '. The American space agency shared on its site several images of the impacts, also broadcasting the sound of the shock wave (video below).

But that's not all !

« Large chunks of ice scattered by the impact have indeed been observed, which is decisive because “ underground ice will be a vital resource for astronauts who could use it for a variety of needs “, if by chance a human mission were to explore Mars.

As a reminder, the Naa hopes to send astronauts to the Red Planet by the late 2030s or early 2040s.