Impact crater

An impact crater is a circular depression formed when a meteoroid, asteroid, or comet crashes into a planet or moon at high speed. The enormous energy from the collision excavates material and creates a noticeable bowl-shaped or ring-shaped feature on the surface. Craters vary in size from small pits to massive basins, and their shapes can tell scientists about the collision event. Over time, natural processes like erosion can soften or erase craters, but they remain important evidence of past impacts that have shaped planetary surfaces throughout history.