Question

from left to right: earth (left picture), earths moon (middle picture), mars (right picture)
phenomenon:
the pictures below show a portion of the surfaces of the moon, mars, and earth, respectively, showing a specific surface feature. the moon is blanketed with millions of these features, mars is covered with more than 300,000 of these features, and the earth has just 128 of these features.
question:
what are the features in these pictures called, and how were they formed?

Explanation:

The surface features described are craters. Craters on celestial bodies like the Moon, Mars, and Earth (though fewer on Earth due to geological processes like erosion and plate tectonics) are formed primarily by the impact of meteoroids, asteroids, or comets. When these space objects collide with a planet or moon, the force of the impact creates a crater. The Moon has so many craters because it lacks a significant atmosphere to burn up incoming space debris and has minimal geological activity to erase old craters. Mars also has a thin atmosphere and less active geological processes compared to Earth (in some regions) which allows many craters to remain. Earth's 128 known craters are the result of impacts that occurred in the past, with most evidence of older craters erased by erosion, sedimentation, and tectonic activity.

Answer:

The features are called craters. They were formed by the impact of meteoroids, asteroids, or comets.