Images of Mars -- Part Three

[brellis]

Welcome to SDC!<br /><br />Very interesting detail in the HiRISE Image -- gets me thirsty just looking at it!<br /><br />On dec. 7th, Mars Odyssey went into a "safe" mode, presumably due to particles from a Solar CME observed earlier that day.<br />The rovers were unaffected, but they use Odyssey as a relay, so we likely won't see pics until they get the Odyssey back on track.<br /><br />A tip - this forum thread is devoted to pics, so the page is real wide.<br />Hittting RETURN once in awhile keeps text posts within a manageable margin.<br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><br />Brad Ellis <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

Interesting! There is also a polygponal nextwork evident in that image, indicative of permafrost.<br /><br />Utopia is where Vkimning 2 landed. the HiRISE imnage and the lander photos show a polygonal network as well. Neutron studies suggest there is ice within a metre of the surface.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[rlb2]

<font color="orange">Interesting zigzag like channels found in the lower dark half of <br />the images.<font color="white"><br /><br />Seems like something is down there they already want to send Oppy down into <br />the crater to take a closer look.<br /><br />____________________________________________________<br /><br /><font color="orange">3488 - rlb2. The bright streaks DO look very fresh indeed. Obviously <br />salty IMO. Considering how dusty both Spirit & Opportunity got, these streaks <br />seem very fresh.<font color="white"><br /><br />Here is a salty looking Spirit new image. Salty looking deposits at both locations <br />close to the top surface???</font></font></font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

<font color="orange">Interesting! There is also a polygponal nextwork evident in that image, <br />indicative of permafrost.<font color="white"><br /><br />Kind of looks like dried up mud with no apparent cratering also look at the bright <br />outline of the mounds???</font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[JonClarke]

If the ground gets above freezing (or even into the melting temperatures of brines) the you will get an active layer, as you do in terrestrial polar environments. this might obliterate any craters.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[rlb2]

For enlarged image see:<br /><br />http://members.cox.net/skyclimbers/1P218648732EL5M1.75.jpg<br /><br />1P218648732EL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

1P218648732EL5M1.5 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

1P218648822EL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

1P218648912EL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Make sure somebody bumps the thread when the images are approved. I can't wait ! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[ldyaidan]

These are absolutely breathtaking! Thank you for all your hard work. Very well done. Excellent work! I'd buy the book.<br /><br />Rae

 

[rlb2]

<font color="orange">These are absolutely breathtaking! Thank you for all your hard work. <br />Very well done. Excellent work! I'd buy the book.<font color="white"><br /><br />Thanks, I'm like you I can’t wait to see the next raw images so I can turn them <br />into color. The rover team has done an excellent job in getting these back <br />to earth and keeping the rovers alive. In the mean time the story continues, <br />I can’t wait to see the next chapter...<br /><br />1P218649001EL5M1<br /></font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

Here is a larger section of the image above.<br /><br />1P218649001EL5M1.5 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[ldyaidan]

Granted, looks can be decieving when view pics from a few million miles away, but so many of the pictures we're seeing look like the ground has recently been wet. Not being a scientist, by any stretch of the imagination, my view is pretty basic. But, so many areas look like wash out areas right after a rainstorm. The soil is darker than the surroundings, smoother, and even shows little ripples. I know it could easily have been other factors, tho.<br /><br />Rae

 

[MeteorWayne]

Wow, look at all those blueberries!<br />Time to make a pie <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[3488]

Hi there, I agree MeteorWayne, those Blueberries are quite something!!! <br /><br />Idyaidan, it does look as if the ground has been 'wet' in the not so distant past. I guess that the dust is so fine, it acts like a liquid. The dessicatiing conditions in this area would very quickly dry mud out.<br /><br />rlb2 keep producing these fantastic images!!!<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[franontanaya]

An annoyingly funny thing spotted by Spirit's Microscopic Imager on Sol 1053: 2M219845141EFFASAFP2936M2M1<br /><br />Can you see the eliptic shape within the sharpened spot?<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[silylene old]

Natural Martian landbridge. Its from a collapsed lava tube. The bridge is 25m wide. From the Dec 6 HiRISE picture batch. http://planetary.org/blog/article/00000793/<br /><br />Wow ! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><em><font color="#0000ff">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</font></em> </div><div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><font color="#0000ff"><em>I really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function.</em></font> </div> </div>

 

[rlb2]

Here are some more that I colorized from set of images. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

PSP_001390_1735_RED <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

Post deleted by rlb2 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

PSP_001341_2650_RED <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

PSP_001558_1325 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

1P220150427EL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[silylene old]

Steve, if you look at the entire image (not just a tiny portion that I uploaded into the post), you can clearly see that this is almost certainly a quite long lava tube, since it has features consistent with a lava tube, and it also lacks those features which are consistent with being formed by water or other low viscosity liquid. Other portions of the channel show the rim overhang and tube curvature shape quite distinctively. The lack of sinuosity and peripheral channels implies it isn't a water channel. The surrounding morphology looks quite volcanic. Having hiked lave tubes close up in El Malpais Lava Beds (NM; highly recommended), Subway Caves (CA; very worth a visit) and Lava Beds National Monument (CA), I do know what they look like, and lave tubes don't look anything like riverbeds. And, I am sure one of our resident geologists could expound further why this channel in the Martian photo is a lava tube. While we can't "know" everything with 100.000000% certainty, this particular feature is one even I can indentify as a lava tube with a very high probability of being correct. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><em><font color="#0000ff">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</font></em> </div><div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><font color="#0000ff"><em>I really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function.</em></font> </div> </div>