
What created this geological feature in the photo?
No right or wrong answer, just want to know what you think!
What influences the characteristics of impact craters on the surface of the Earth and other objects in the Solar System?
There is no right or wrong answer, I just want to know what you think!
Sum it all up:
The deepest impact craters are created by , , and objects.
Objects that strike at an angle will produce .
Impact craters can provide clues about the past.
The Principle of Superposition states:
The order of layers of geologic features found on the surface information about which features are older or younger.
Features found on top are the youngest.
If a crater is found on the floor of or overlapping the rim of another crater, it must be younger. The crater on the bottom must have been there first, making it older.
Which crater in the image is younger? (Click one)

Crater density, or the number of craters in areas of equal size, can help determine the age of the surface.
The more craters on the surface, the older that surface is.
Which surface in the image is likely to be older? (Click one)

Over time, craters can be modified by geologic processes. The more modified a crater, the older it is. Craters generally flatten and lose shape with age.
Which crater in the image below is the oldest? (Click one)

Explain how scientists could determine the relative ages of two nearby planetary surfaces if Surface A has very deep craters with sharp edges and lots of ejecta, while Surface B has many shallow, worn craters and a smooth layer of lava covering parts of it.
Optional and just for fun: Play with the Asteroid Launcher website.
Why didn't the chunks between Mars and Jupiter form a planet?
| Draggable item | arrow_right_alt | Corresponding Item |
|---|---|---|
Meteorite | arrow_right_alt | Big space rock |
Meteor | arrow_right_alt | Small space rock |
Asteroid | arrow_right_alt | Space rock that enters Earth's atmosphere |
Meteroid | arrow_right_alt | Space rock that makes it to the surface of the Earth |
What makes some meteorites dense, dark, and magnetic?
Which region does the dwarf planet Pluto belong to?
What can cause icy objects from the Kuiper Belt or Oort Cloud to become comets?
How do comet tails form when comets approach the Sun?
According to the video, what role might comets and asteroids have played for early Earth?
Predict: Which object will create a deeper impact crater?
Size: which object made a deeper impact crater?
Predict: which object will create a deeper impact crater?
Density: which object made a deeper impact crater?
Predict: which velocity (speed) will make a deeper impact crater?
Velocity: which velocity (speed) made a deeper impact crater?
Predict: How does an angled impact affect the amount of ejecta (debris or thrown-out material) produced?
Angle: How does the angled impact affect the amount of ejecta (debris or thrown-out material) produced?