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A meteorite impact site

The site of a December 24 meteorite strike on Mars.
The site of a December 24 meteorite strike on Mars. Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

On Christmas Eve 2021, a meteorite impacted on Mars. The impact was felt by the InSight lander, which normally detects seismic waves from Marsquakes. In 2022, the HiRISE camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter imaged the impact site. It revealed ice kicked up by the space rock’s impact, with a big black splotch the blaring indicator of the rock’s presence.