How did Mars get its irregular shape? What made the bulge?
Like many rotating planets, Mars is fatter around its equator than it is around the poles. This is due to the centrifugal force caused by its rotation. However, Mars is also somewhat pear-shaped…there are highlands in the south, and lowlands to the north. How did it get this way? We don’t know for sure, but many scientists believe that Mars may have been knocked into its irregular shape by a large asteroid impact. Thanks for the question!
