impact craters

This worksheet will guide you through how to download Google Earth, how to navigate to each impact crater, how to measure the diameter of each crater and to put the sizes of these craters into perspective. You will then be asked to calculate the kinetic energies involved in some of the impacts which have created these craters.

What will I need for this activity?

• Google Earth - download from: http://earth.google.com/

Use Google Mars to observe some real impact craters on the Martian surface.

We suggest you try the activity; 'Measuring impact craters on the Earth' first as this activity compares craters and surface features on the two planets.

There are 2 parts to this activity which should both be carried out prior to the Deep Impact mission. The aim of this activity is to learn about the specific features of craters.

OverviewThis lesson aims to introduce pupils to the different effects of a meteorite impact and develop their understanding of various mitigation techniques for these events.

This lesson allows pupils to create impact craters in layered dry materials. Pupils can perform controlled experiments by varying the velocity or mass of crater-forming objects and observing and measuring their effects.

Aims

Students will determine the effects of wind, sandblasting and water on regolith formation and deposition on Earth. After discussing whether or not they think that lunar regolith is formed in the same way, the students will simulate regolith formation on the Moon by meteoritic bombardment.

This document provides a concise background to meteorites including what they are and where they come from.