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> Mars - Argyre Basin

Mars - Argyre Basin

author: Nasa/JPL/Novapix

reference: a-mar04-00141

Image Size 300 DPI: 20 * 21 cm

The Argyre impact basin in the southern highlands of Mars. The basin, which is approximately 1,300 kilometers in diameter, was formed about 4 billion years ago during the Heavy Bombardment Period of the early Solar System when an asteroid or comet roughly 50 kilometers across impacted Mars. Argyre is believed to be the second-largest impact basin on Mars after Hellas Planitia and may be one of the best preserved ancient impact basins from the Heavy Bombardment Period.

Keywords for this photo:

1976 - ARGYRE - ASTRONOMY - ATMOSPHERE - IMPACT CRATER - LIMB - MARS - PLANET - VIKING - VIKING 1 -