Impact cratering is the process by which hypervelocity collisions of extraterrestrial bodies (e.g., asteroids, comets, meteoroids) with a planetary surface excavate material and form characteristic circular depressions. It involves three main stages: contact and compression, where shock waves propagate and generate extreme pressures and temperatures; excavation, during which target material is displaced outward and upward, forming a transient cavity and ejecta; and modification, where gravitational collapse and rock rheology reshape the transient cavity into a final crater morphology. Impact cratering is a fundamental geologic process that influences crustal structure, surface evolution, and volatile redistribution on solid bodies throughout the Solar System.
A huge asteroid that was briefly feared to strike Earth now has a nearly 4% chance of smashing into the moon, according to new data from the James Webb Space Telescope.
Space Exploration
Apr 3, 2025
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1011
Asteroid 2024 YR4, first discovered in December 2024, triggered a first-ever notification from the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) on January 29, 2025. The early calculations predicted an impact probability ...
Planetary Sciences
Apr 2, 2025
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77
Suppose humanity was faced with an extinction-level event. Not just high odds, but certain-sure. A nearby supernova will explode and irradiate all life, a black hole will engulf the Earth, a Mars-sized interstellar asteroid ...
Astrobiology
Mar 27, 2025
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61
Scientists have long sought to determine the age of the moon's South Pole–Aitken (SPA) basin, the largest and oldest known impact crater on the lunar surface. Recently, a research team led by Prof. Chen Yi from the Institute ...
Planetary Sciences
Mar 21, 2025
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65
There are many home-grown problems on Earth, but there's still time to worry about bad things arriving from above. The most recent is the asteroid 2024 YR4, which could be a "city killer" if it hits a heavily populated area ...
Astrobiology
Mar 18, 2025
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25
On the way to investigate the scene of a historic asteroid collision, a European spacecraft swung by Mars and captured rare images of the red planet's mysterious small moon Deimos, the European Space Agency (ESA) said Thursday.
Planetary Sciences
Mar 13, 2025
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84
Last year, astronomers detected the near-earth asteroid (NEA) 2024 YR4, which orbits the sun every four years and periodically crosses Earth's orbit. The nature of its orbit makes it a potentially hazardous object (PHO), ...
Planetary Sciences
Mar 11, 2025
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144
Curtin University researchers have discovered the world's oldest known meteorite impact crater, which could significantly redefine our understanding of the origins of life and how our planet was shaped.
Planetary Sciences
Mar 6, 2025
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194
In December 2024, astronomers in Chile spotted a new asteroid streaking through the sky, which they named 2024 YR4. What's significant about this 100m-wide space rock is that it has a small chance of hitting Earth in 2032.
Astronomy
Feb 24, 2025
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59
New research shows that when an asteroid slammed into the moon billions of years ago, it carved out a pair of grand canyons on the lunar far side.
Planetary Sciences
Feb 4, 2025
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