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The massive Martian meteor strike was the largest ever seen in the solar system

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On December 24, 2021, a magnitude 4 earthquake hit the Red Planet, triggering sensors on NASA’s Insight lander. Now scientists know exactly what caused the situation. Before and after images taken by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter confirmed that it was a meteorite impact – the largest ever recorded in the entire solar system.

The impact crater, which measures 492 feet (150 meters) across and 70 feet (21 meters) deep and is located near the Martian equator, is now offering scientists a rare look at the subsurface of Mars. What’s more, the boulder-sized chunks of ice that were dislodged and exposed by the impact represent the lowest altitude ice ever found on the planet. Details of the strike and the events that followed are described in two studies published in the journal Science on Thursday (October 27).

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