{{One source|article|date=September 2008}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}} {{Infobox crater data | titlecolor = #FA8072 | title = Miyamoto | coordinate_title = [[Mars#Geography|Coordinates]] | globe = Mars | coordinates = {{coord|2.88|S|7.0|W|globe:mars_type:landmark|display=inline,title}} | diameter = 160.0 km | eponym = Shotaro Miyamoto }} '''Miyamoto''' is a crater within the [[Margaritifer Sinus quadrangle]] (MC-19) region of the planet [[Mars]], west of the [[Meridiani Planum|Plains of Meridiani]]. It is {{convert|150|km|mi|sp=us}} wide. Its 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, 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.<ref name="PD NASA">{{USGovernment|url=http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/mission/Miyamoto_ellipse2.html|title= Possible MSL Landing Site|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080925111604/http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/mission/Miyamoto_ellipse2.html|archive-date=2008-09-25 |date=25 September 2008|work=[[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]]|access-date=29 September 2008|agency=NASA}}</ref> Miyamoto was considered as a possible landing site for the [[Mars Science Laboratory]].
==Mars Science Laboratory== {{see also|Mars Science Laboratory}}
Several sites in the Margaritifer Sinus quadrangle have been proposed as areas to send NASA's next major Mars rover, the [[Mars Science Laboratory]]. Miyamoto Crater was in the top seven sites chosen. Among the top 33 landing sites was Iani Chaos. Holden Crater is believed to have once been a lake. [[Eberswalde Crater]] contains a [[River delta|delta]].<ref>http://disc.discovery.com/news/2008/11/21/mars-landing-sites-02.html{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> There is a great deal of evidence that Miyamoto Crater once contained rivers and lakes. Many minerals, such as clays, chlorides, sulfates, and iron oxides, have been discovered there. Miyamoto Crater displays [[Inverted relief]] in the form of inverted channels.<ref>Newsom, H., A. Ollila, N. Lanza, S. Weisman, L. Tornabene, C. Okubo, T. Roush, G. Marzo, L. Crumpler, M. Osterloo. 2009. "Miyamoto Crater--Sediments and Phyllosilicates in the Ancient Crust of Mars. MARS SCIENCE LABORATORY Third MSL Landing Site Workshop Doubletree Hotel, Monrovia, CA September 15th - September 17th, 2008" http://marsoweb.nas.nasa.gov/landingsites/msl2009/workshops/3rd_workshop/talks/Newsom_Miyamoto.pdf</ref> The picture below shows an inverted channel in Miyamoto. Inverted channels formed from accumulated sediments that were cemented by minerals. These channels eroded into the surface, then the whole area was covered over with sediments. When the sediments were later eroded away, the place where the river channel existed remained because the hardened material were resistant to erosion.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/|title=HiRISE {{pipe}} High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment|website=hirise.lpl.arizona.edu}}</ref>
In an article published in January 2010, a large group of scientists endorsed the idea of searching for life in Miyamoto Crater because of inverted stream channels and minerals that indicated the past presence of water.<ref>{{cite journal | last1= Newsom | first1= Horton E. | last2= Lanza | first2= Nina L. | last3= Ollila | first3= Ann M. | last4= Wiseman | first4= Sandra M. | last5= Roush | first5= Ted L. | last6= Marzo | first6= Giuseppe A. | last7= Tornabene | first7= Livio L. | last8= Okubo | first8= Chris H. | last9= Osterloo | first9= Mikki M. | last10= Hamilton | first10= Victoria E. | last11= Crumpler | first11= Larry S. | title= Inverted channel deposits on the floor of Miyamoto crater, Mars | journal= Icarus | volume= 205 | pages= 64–72 | date= 2010 | issue= 1 | doi = 10.1016/j.icarus.2009.03.030 | bibcode = 2010Icar..205...64N }}</ref> The aim of the Mars Science Laboratory is to search for signs of ancient life. It is hoped that a later mission could then return samples from sites identified as probably containing remains of life. To safely bring the craft down, a 12 mile wide, smooth, flat circle is needed. Geologists hope to examine places where water once ponded.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://themis.mars.asu.edu/feature/31|title=The Floods of Iani Chaos {{pipe}} Mars Odyssey Mission THEMIS|website=themis.mars.asu.edu}}</ref> They would like to examine sediment layers. The seven finalists were:<ref name="auto"/> [[Eberswalde (crater)|Eberswalde]] crater, [[Gale (crater)|Gale]] crater, [[Holden (Martian crater)|Holden]] crater, [[Mawrth Vallis]], Miyamoto Crater, [[Nili Fossae]] Trough, Southern [[Meridiani Planum|Meridiani]] (also near Miyamato)
==Gallery== <gallery class="center"> Image:Meridiani Planum PIA13704.jpg|Color-coded for minerals and annotated File:Meridianicropped.png|Annotated elevation map of Opportunity landing site and some surrounding craters including Endeavour and Miyamato File:Miyamoto ellipse2.jpg|The proposed landing ellipse in Miyamoto when it was one of seven finalists under consideration as a landing site for MSL.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/timeline/prelaunch/landing-site-selection/seven-possible-msl-landing-sites|title=Seven Possible MSL Landing Sites {{pipe}} Landing Site Selection|website=NASA's Mars Exploration Program}}</ref> [[Gale (crater)|Gale]] was eventually chosen. Image:Miyamoto Crater.JPG|Inverted Channel in Miyamoto Crater, as seen by HiRISE File:Miyamoto crater 653A57.jpg|[[Viking program|Viking Orbiter 1]] image </gallery> ==See also== {{commons category|Miyamoto (Martian crater)}} *[[Groundwater on Mars]] *Nearby craters: **[[Endeavour (crater)]] **[[Bopolu (crater)]] **[[Iazu (crater)]] *Nearby spacecraft **[[Opportunity (rover)]] **ExoMars [[Schiaparelli EDM lander]]
== References == {{reflist}}
{{Geography of Mars}} {{Portal bar|Solar System}}
[[Category:Impact craters on Mars]] [[Category:Margaritifer Sinus quadrangle]]