Stoney (Martian crater)
From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Stoney Crater is an impact crater in the Mare Australe quadrangle of Mars, located at 69.8°S latitude and 138.6°W longitude. It is 171.0 km in diameter and was named after George Johnstone Stoney, and the name was approved in 1973 by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN).[1]
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East side of Stoney (Martian crater), as seen by CTX camera (on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter).
Why craters are important
The density of impact craters is used to determine the surface ages of Mars and other solar system bodies.[2] The older the surface, the more craters present. Crater shapes can reveal the presence of ground ice.
See also
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://www.lpi.usra.edu/publications/slidesets/stones/
