New evidence bolsters theory big whack made Mars two-faced

[Praxius]

http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/World/1064210.html

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Why is Mars two-faced?

Scientists say fresh evidence supports the theory that a monster impact punched the red planet, leaving behind perhaps the largest gash on any heavenly body in the solar system.
Today, the Martian surface has a split personality.

The southern hemisphere of Mars is pockmarked and filled with ancient rugged highlands. By contrast, the northern hemisphere is smoother and covered by low-lying plains.

Three papers published in today’s journal Nature provide the most convincing evidence yet that an outside force was responsible.

According to the researchers, an asteroid or comet whacked a young Mars some four billion years ago, blasting away much of its northern crust and creating a giant hole over 40 per cent of the surface.

New calculations reveal the crater known as the Borealis basin measures 8,500 kilometres across and 10,600 kilometres long — the size of Asia, Europe and Australia combined. It’s believed to be four times bigger than the current titleholder, the South Pole-Aitken basin on Earth’s moon.

Astronomers have long puzzled over Mars’ landscape ever since images beamed back in the 1970s showed different-looking halves.

I think I got the right pic of the right crater on Mars above.

 

[Praxius]

Added:

If the crater is that large, I wonder if that might have had something to do with Mars being currently dead as it seems. Would a astroid or comet of that size have enough power apon impact to vaporize or obliterate all life, atmosphere and water from the surface of the planet?

Could that occur to us here on Earth if that is the case?

 

[darkbeaver]

see Velakovskys Worlds in Collision 1953

 

[jimmoyer]

Is that a reflection of the light on the mountains of the crater coming from that ice lake or are the mountains frosted on that right side ?

Beautiful picture.

 

[Praxius]

Is that a reflection of the light on the mountains of the crater coming from that ice lake or are the mountains frosted on that right side ?

Beautiful picture.

From what I read, it's an ice lake.

Full sized pic:
http://www.biblelife.org/mars-crater-lake.jpg

Also:

Yeah, now I'm not sure if the top pic is the right one..... of course NASA's site doesn't even show a picture of the crater they're talking about in their news section, so I ain't got a clue.

And I would guess that the right side of the top pic where there's some white area, might be more ice on the mountains, as the sun light seems to be coming from the opposite direction to be causing a reflection like that.