News > New research could shatter everything we know about planetary impacts

New research could shatter everything we know about planetary impacts

New research suggests Venus has a colossal impact structure in disguise. The Haastte-Baad Tessera spans 1,500 kilometres and doesn’t resemble typical craters, hinting at a past collision that tore through the planet’s thin crust and into its molten interior. Scientists believe this structure formed from two consecutive impacts. The thin crust of early Venus couldn’t contain the violence, and magma surged to the surface, forming the unique tessera terrain.