A massive object, 20 times larger than the asteroid that caused the extinction of dinosaurs on Earth, has struck another celestial body in the Solar System.
A study led by Dr. Naoyuki Hirata from Kobe University in Japan has identified a meteorite crater that once measured between 1,400 and 1,600 km in diameter on Ganymede, the largest moon in the Solar System.
Ganymede is one of Jupiter’s moons, discovered by the scientist Galileo Galilei in the early 17th century. It is even larger than Mercury and possesses many intriguing features.
Ganymede, Jupiter’s moon, has the largest impact crater in the Solar System – (Photo: NASA).
The Japanese research team analyzed the surface details of Ganymede based on NASA data and discovered anomalies on several tectonic-like structures similar to those on Earth.
These troughs are the oldest surface features identified on Ganymede, potentially providing a window into the moon’s early history.
It is believed that these troughs were formed by ancient impacts, with the largest trough system – Galileo-Marius – possibly being the remnants of a colossal ancient collision, extending concentrically from a single point on Ganymede.
The recently published information in the journal Scientific Reports has confirmed this, even uncovering an intriguing segment of the history of this collision.
Models suggest that where the troughs originated, there once existed a meteorite crater measuring up to 1,400-1,600 km in diameter.
To create such a large impact crater, the asteroid that struck Ganymede would have to have a diameter of up to 300 km, which is over 20 times larger than the Chicxulub asteroid, which caused the extinction of dinosaurs on Earth 66 million years ago.
The impact on Ganymede occurred much earlier than Chicxulub, dating back to 4 billion years ago.
“This massive collision must have had a significant impact on the initial evolutionary processes of Ganymede, but the thermal and structural effects of the impact on Ganymede’s interior have yet to be studied,” Dr. Hirata explained.
Therefore, the research team will continue to delve into this catastrophic event, hoping to gain a better understanding of the origins and evolution of Ganymede, one of the worlds that has shown faint traces of the potential for an underground ocean that could harbor life.
