# @europeanspaceagency on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DGLmd-3M4iL
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/35582190-europeanspaceagency-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/a4176ce03a.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-02-17T16:50:00.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** J.L.Lopez (@xandler80) — https://gondola.cc/xandler80

## Caption

A space rock strikes Mars – and scientists solve a mystery 🔴

In February 2021, a meteoroid struck Mars, generating seismic waves that travelled 1 640 km across the planet and were detected by NASA’s InSight lander. The impact left behind a 21-metre-wide crater, and thanks to our ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), we now have this remarkable false-colour image, captured on 3 November 2023 at Cerberus Fossae (163.07°E, 9.25°N).

Mars is no stranger to marsquakes and meteorite strikes, but here’s the key discovery: many seismic readings previously thought to be caused by tectonic activity may, in fact, have been triggered by meteor impacts.

By combining data from five different orbiters—including our TGO and Mars Express—scientists identified fresh craters that appeared at the same time as recorded marsquakes. This breakthrough has deepened our understanding of how seismic waves travel through Mars, revealing a “seismic highway” that could influence future exploration and settlement plans.

Research suggests that Mars experiences meteor impacts 2.5 times more frequently than previously estimated. Meanwhile, our space safety programme is developing planetary defence strategies to help mitigate similar risks for Earth.

The Trace Gas Orbiter continues to map Mars, searching for water-rich locations and clues about its past habitability—because where there was water, there may once have been life as we know it.

📸 europeanspaceagency/TGO/CaSSIS; creativecommons CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 11,392
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- **Comments:** 69

## Credits

These are the roles credited on Gondola. Credits may be incomplete.
A brand, account owner, or featured person is not necessarily the creator.

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ESA - European Space Agency | @europeanspaceagency | https://gondola.cc/europeanspaceagency | Government Organization |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Producer |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Editor |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Social Media Manager |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Publisher |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Copywriter |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Community Manager |

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