Seismic data from Mars indicates that our neighboring planet is hit about three hundred times a year by meteorites the size of basketballs.
Did a meteorite finally reveal life on Mars?
A study authored by researchers from Imperial College London and ETH Zurich was able to use data collected from NASA's now-defunct InSight Lander, which is equipped with a seismological tool called the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS). It is the only seismometer on Mars and a crucial source of information about the largest events happening on and below the surface of Mars, including meteorite impacts.
Although craters are obvious evidence of a meteorite impacting the Red Planet's surface, the study says seismic activity may be a more accurate way to calculate how often Mars is hit by meteorites. The meteorite impacts cause high-frequency Martian earthquakes, unlike other seismic events.
The researchers were able to log three meteorite impacts before their craters were discovered, lending credence to the theory that seismometers provide better evidence of meteorite impacts than visual confirmation of craters, which can be as small as just a few meters across. The new data based on Martian earthquakes suggests that Mars is hit by meteorites between 280 and 360 times a year.
