Differential melt scaling for oblique impacts on terrestrial planets

► We derive impact melt volumes for a given projectile and a given crater. ► Melt volume for a particular crater diameter increases with planetary gravity. ► A 45° impact yields ∼1.6 times less melt than a vertical impact. ► Higher surface temperatures and geothermal gradients increase melt production. ► Results imply thinner central melt sheets on the Moon and Mars than on Earth.