Groovy crater

This dramatic image of a 6 km diameter crater in the northern plains of Mars was captured by the CaSSIS camera on the ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter during local evening when half the crater was in shadow.

Intriguing features can be seen both inside and outside the crater. During an impact event vast volumes of material are flung out of the central cavity, which may create radiating patterns like the grooves seen here extending away from the crater.

Inside the crater, material slumps towards the centre, while more recently formed gullies are evident on walls and rim.

The crater is located at 134°12'13.0"W/43°14'59.7"N.

TGO arrived at Mars in 2016 and began its full science mission in 2018. The spacecraft is not only returning spectacular images, but also providing the best ever inventory of the planet’s atmospheric gases, and mapping the planet’s surface for water-rich locations.