Expert: Ed - 1/8/2009

Question
I am typing this on my Ipod Touch so I'll make it quick.  I simply wanted if the
planet of Mars had ever been hit by a comet, moon, astroid,ect.  I would also
like to know the power, time period, and any other effects they
Might have had to life and the condition of the planet.

Answer
Brayden,
Yes, Mars gets walloped by various forms of space debris, all the time.

A very large example is the Hellas Basin, also known as the Hellas Planitia.  It is a crater from a massive collision with an asteroid.

Another example is the Borealis Basin, which resulted from an impact 3.9 billions years ago which had an enormous influence on the structure of the entire planet.  Look at this MIT website.  This is a topic which is only being understood now, in these exciting times that we live in.  This article is just a few months old.

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/mars-basin-0625.html

I hope this is helpful.  Please get back to me if I'm not being precise enough.
Keep Looking Up,
-Ed