Miyamoto (crater)

Miyamoto (crater)

Miyamoto is a crater lying situated within the Margaritifer Sinus quadrangle (MC-19) region of the planet Mars, west of the Plains of Meridiani. The crater is 150 kilometers (93 mi) wide. The crater's northeastern half is filled with rocks formed in the presence of water and include minerals of iron and sulfur, which likely settled on lake bottoms or in groundwater systems. In the southwestern half of the crater floor, erosion has stripped these materials away, instead revealing clays and other materials like those found in the most ancient Martian rocks. More than 3.5 billion years old, they date to the Noachian era at which time, liquid water was likely present at the surface and could have created an environment favorable to life.

Miyamoto was considered as a possible landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory.

Read more about Miyamoto (crater):  Mars Science Laboratory