Impact Cratering Theory

Impact cratering theory explains how craters form when a meteoroid, asteroid, or comet strikes a planetary surface at high speed. The force of the collision excavates a round depression, or crater, by displacing and ejecting material. The size and shape of the crater depend on the size, speed, and angle of the impact, as well as the properties of the surface. Over time, many planets and moons show evidence of these impacts, providing clues about their history and the dynamic processes in our solar system. Impact craters are natural recorders of cosmic collisions, helping scientists study planetary evolution.