[perryp]

What is the 'golfball' in this crater on Mars?



Is it a meteor? A volcano? A buckminster-fuller geodesic dome?

[Stogieman]

Looks like a Pinnacle #2.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

God shoots a hole-in-one.

[ghost_flash]

Sure, we landed on the moon, and-mars.

[adamk]

Originally posted by perryp:
What is the 'golfball' in this crater on Mars?

Is it a meteor? A volcano? A buckminster-fuller geodesic dome?

it is a common morphological feature of impact craters. the center structure is caused by partially molten rock resurfacing - so similiar to a volcano, though the source is the local rocks affected by the impact and not magma from within the planet, and as such, does not have a permanent source of rock.

[perryp]

Originally posted by adamk:
it is a common morphological feature of impact craters. the center structure is caused by partially molten rock resurfacing - so similiar to a volcano, though the source is the local rocks affected by the impact and not magma from within the planet, and as such, does not have a permanent source of rock.

but why is this thing so regular? something to do with less gravitational forces? are there similar examples on earth or other planets/moons?

[ghost_flash]

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

[adamk]

Originally posted by perryp:
but why is this thing so regular? something to do with less gravitational forces? are there similar examples on earth or other planets/moons?

not sure about the regularity - that is amazing, and with the little dimples. there are good examples of a central bump in craters on the moon though.

*the bump may also be a result of uplift (decompression) after the hit. maybe some more astro-oriented people may know better.

[adamk]

Originally posted by ghost_flash:
Sure, we landed on the moon, and-mars.

do you think that we haven't? and if so, what proof/evidence do you have to the contrary?

[PJW]

Originally posted by adamk:
do you think that we haven't? and if so, what proof/evidence do you have to the contrary?

Because you can't see any stars in the Moon photos. DUH.

Also, Arizona looks like the Moon. Therefore, we landed in Arizona.

<insert crackpot conspiracy theory here>

[Truepop]

Originally posted by PJW:
Because you can't see any stars in the Moon photos. DUH.

Also, Arizona looks like the Moon. Therefore, we landed in Arizona.

<insert crackpot conspiracy theory here>

I think they forgot to survey the land before they let the tyco with a camera run around "mars"

[wdlove]

That is certainly an amazing picture. Very similar to a ball of some kind. The human eye trying to make it inot a familar object.

[gorickey]

I think that's actually a baseball that Rickey knocked out of the park...err, planet...

[Visnaut]

I've seen that before somewhere, where did it originate? I'm assuming that's satellite imagery from Mars, but I'd like to see its authenticity confirmed, if only seeing its source from a NASA site or something. If it is an actual image, then it'd be interesting to know the scale of that formation.

I hope this doesn't turn into another Face On Mars debacle. Despite its intriguing structure, I doubt it has any more value than its geological origins. And the apparent dimples on its surface may simply be an illusion, much like the so-called Face on Mars was simply a product of the low resolution and lighting conditions of the original image.

[perryp]

Originally posted by Visnaut:
I've seen that before somewhere, where did it originate? I'm assuming that's satellite imagery from Mars, but I'd like to see its authenticity confirmed, if only seeing its source from a NASA site or something.

The image is from an official government site here:
http://ida.wr.usgs.gov/html/m15012/m1501228.html

[ryju]

Originally posted by Stogieman:
Looks like a Pinnacle #2.

noonono it's the new top flight 3000

[ghost_flash]

.

[OwlBoy]

[Visnaut]

Originally posted by perryp:
The image is from an official government site here:
http://ida.wr.usgs.gov/html/m15012/m1501228.html

Thank you, perry. Of interest is the first thing they state on that page:

The browse (jpeg) images rendered on this web site are meant solely to facilitate the selection of raw MOC imaging products for download and use by the scientific community. The browse and jpeg images are neither radiometrically nor geometrically accurate and should never be used for quantitative or interpretative purposes.

[perryp]

Originally posted by Visnaut:
Thank you, perry. Of interest is the first thing they state on that page:

Well that's just a standard disclaimer. It doesn't invalidate the image

[Visnaut]

Originally posted by perryp:
Well that's just a standard disclaimer. It doesn't invalidate the image

No, it certainly doesn't, it's actually a very sharp image. I simply interpret it as saying not to take the image as being something to base conclusions upon.

Also, according to that page, the resolution of that image is about 4.47m/pixel. I measured the spherical object to be about 40 pixels wide, making it approximately 178.8m (586.6' or just under the length of two football fields). That's pretty big, whatever it is, and makes it all the more interesting.

[ghost_flash]

Originally posted by Visnaut:
No, it certainly doesn't, it's actually a very sharp image. I simply interpret it as saying not to take the image as being something to base conclusions upon.

Also, according to that page, the resolution of that image is about 4.47m/pixel. I measured the spherical object to be about 40 pixels wide, making it approximately 178.8m (586.6' or just under the length of two football fields). That's pretty big, whatever it is, and makes it all the more interesting.

My mistake! I now think it is the new Nike indoor golf course on Mars.

You read it here first folks!

[RGB]

Originally posted by Stogieman:
Looks like a Pinnacle #2.

Maybe it's a reflection of where my head is right now, but to me it looks like a Clitoris #1

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally posted by RGB:
Maybe it's a reflection of where my head is right now, but to me it looks like a Clitorus #1

Please spare us the details of where exactly you keep your head.

(and it's "Clitoris")

-s*

[RGB]

Originally posted by Spheric Harlot:
Please spare us the details of where exactly you keep your head.

(and it's "Clitoris")

-s*

Late night. U and I next to eachother on keyboard. You get the picture. Edited.