Like the Earth and the Moon, Mars also has impact craters. All three bodies have experienced approximately the same rate of cratering, but because of erosion, the craters have different appearances on each surface. Because the Moon has little to no atmosphere, most craters there look as fresh as the day they were made. Mars does support a thin atmosphere, so some erosion of craters there does take place. However, the extent of this erosion is very small compared to the erosion of craters that happens on Earth.

Earth: This crater was created by a comet or asteroid that hit the Earth several hundred million years ago. It is located in the Sahara Desert in Chad, and it is about 17 km wide. Erosion of the crater is clearly visible.

Mars: This crater is located on the surface of Mars. While not as eroded as the craters on Earth, the rim of the crater has been sculpted by ice that forms on the ground.