Yes, even the smallest asteroids can create massive craters because they are travelling at such tremendous speeds. Several variables can affect the size of the crater, including the size, speed and density of the asteroid, the density of the ground and the angle at which the asteroid strikes.
The Mariner 10 probe studied the planet Mercury, which has a crater-pitted surface due to impacts from asteroids and comets over billions of years.
Mercury was studied by the Mariner 10 Probe and has a crater pitted surface.
Asteroids crash into the surface of a planet and so make a large hole called a crater. The force of the crash can cause shockwaves for the surrounding area and also can send lots of material like dust and rock up into the atmosphere.
When an asteroid or comet collides with the surface of a planet, it can create a large crater known as an impact crater. The size and shape of the crater depend on factors like the size and speed of the impacting object, as well as the composition of the planet's surface. Impact craters play a crucial role in planetary geology and can provide important insights into a planet's history and geologic processes.
Yes, scientists have studied hundreds of 'nearby' asteroids and are quite confident that there are no asteroids capable of causing a major catastrophic impact currently on a collision course with our planet, at least in our lifetime.
The Mariner 10 probe studied the planet Mercury, which has a heavily cratered surface due to impacts from asteroids and meteors. It is the smallest and closest planet to the Sun in our solar system.
Asteroids are their own class of object.
Asteroids are rocky or metallic bodies that orbit the Sun and are leftovers from the early formation of the solar system. They are not the remains of a broken planet because the gravitational forces during planet formation prevent such a catastrophic breakup. Additionally, the total mass of all known asteroids is relatively small compared to the mass of a planet, making it unlikely that asteroids are the remnants of a shattered planet.
No. A crater is a depression in the ground created by an impact or explosion. The moon is an object in orbit around Earth. It is believed to have formed when another planet collided with Earth early in its history, but this impact did not leave a crater.
no
Asteroids can fall on any planet (or moon).
No. The asteroids can be seen as leftovers from the formation of the solar system.