Fly Around A Martian Butterfly Crater In Animation Created From Orbiter Observations

Space.com

Observations from the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter have been used to create this animation of a butterfly crater on Mars.   "A butterfly crater is created when a space rock collides with the martian surface at a low angle, causing two separate lobes (or wings) of material to be flung outwards," according to ESA.  CREDIT ESA/DLR/FU Berlin   LICENCE CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO or ESA Standard Licence (content can be used under either licence)

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00:01Is this an insect? A strange fossil? Another worldly eye? Or even a walnut?

00:07No, it's an intriguing kind of Martian butterfly, spotted by ESA's Mars Express mission.

00:14But this isn't a butterfly as we know it. It's actually a type of crater,

00:19formed as a space rock hurtled towards Mars and collided with the planet's dusty surface.

00:25This collision blasted out material to either side of the crater, creating two outstretched wings of raised ground.

00:33What do you think? Can you see the cosmic butterfly?

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