Utopia Basin Mars

However the basin is not currently recognized as an impact basin by.

Utopia basin mars. Some scientists have postulated that the basin formed during the impact of a single large body roughly 2 the mass of mars having a diameter of about 1 900 km 1 200 miles. Other articles where utopia basin is discussed. The caloris basin is an impact crater formed by a huge. It is the martian region where the viking 2 lander touched down and began exploring on september 3 1976 and it is the target of the 2020 tianwen 1 rover and lander.

In contrast with utopia s subtle features the hellas basin is a major topographic structure of the southern highlands of mars with an overall relief of 9 km smith et al. Utopia basin is the largest easily recognizable impact structure in the northern hemisphere of mars and is the only portion of the northern lowlands that exhibits a distinct large scale impact signature. The north polar basin more commonly known as the borealis basin is a large basin in the northern hemisphere of mars that covers 40 of the planet. Impact basin informally called the utopia basin 40 n 250 w.

For those that aren t intimately familiar with martian geography utopia planitia is a huge 3300 km diameter basin that formed by impact early in mars history. Utopia planitia greek and latin. Viking 2 planetary probe. An analysis of the gravity field highlights another point of contrast between the basins.

Utopia planitia is another confirmed impact basin on mars as well as hellas planitia which is the largest visible impact crater in the solar system. There is also significant evidence on the surface of mars that suggests a possible interplanetary collision occurred millions of years ago. Photographs transmitted from the viking 2 lander which touched down at 47 97 n 225 74 w on september 3 1976 depicted a boulder strewn plain that superficially. On mars the early formation of the martian crust and the lack of large impact basins only four unambiguously identified.

It makes up part of what s known as the northern plains the more or less flat terrain north of the martian dichotomy boundary. Its presence there and its ancient age verify that a significant part of. Utopia planitia northern lava plain on the planet mars that was selected as the landing site of the u s. Nowhere land plain loosely the plain of paradise is a large plain within utopia the largest recognized impact basin on mars and in the solar system with an estimated diameter of 3300 km.