Astronomy Picture of the Day -- A Hole in Mars

NASA ^ | July 18, 2012 | (see photo credit)

[ETL]

Until we have done a manned mission to Mars, it’s an if.

Please see post 18.

[ETL]

I’ve seen most of the Star Wars films (I think), but I don’t remember that.

[ETL]

Astronomy Picture of the Day
2007 September 28
A Hole in Mars Close Up
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap070928.html

[sportutegrl]

That’s what happens when you consume mass quantities. You get a conehead.

[Windflier]

"Analysis of this and follow-up images revealed the opening to be about 35 meters across, while the interior shadow angle indicates that the underlying cavern is roughly 20 meters deep."

I really wish that US government agencies would quit expressing measurements in metric units. I understand that the base ten system is superior to our ancient English system of measure, but few Americans can really think with meters, liters, millimeters, kilometers, etc.

I watched a science program the other night, and for once, the commentators expressed all measurements in miles, pounds, feet, and inches. It was surprisingly refreshing, because I was able to visualize the quantities and scales involved with no effort.

As far as I know, the US hasn't officially converted to the metric system. My generation (boomers) didn't learn it in school, even though we had a basic introduction to it. I don't know if children in US public schools are learning it today. If the science community insists upon using it in their work, that's fine, but they should understand that they put the general public in a fog when they attempt to communicate with us, using metric terminology.

[Windflier]

Uranus is a very interesting place. Maybe I’ll get to explore it up close and personal one day.

A set up for a hundred jokes, if I ever saw one.

[Windflier]

I’ve seen most of the Star Wars films (I think), but I don’t remember that.

You don't remember the infamous Death Star??

[Wuli]

There have been so many discoveries of “new” (previously unknown) microbes in the past decade, microbes that have developed metabolic processes that defied previous understandings of “the essential ingredients for life”.

So, if I were any scientist I would be very careful about declaring any part of any other world as an area that cannot sustain life. All such claim can really apply to is “life as we know it”.

As we start to “explore the universe” I think the best expectation we can is to expect the unexpected.

[WSGilcrest]

I had to stare and squint for several minutes before the slopes surrounding the hole appeared concave.

[danielmryan]

Well, I certainly missed that trick. In the interim, something like this might do:

1 pay(taxes)
2 if (WEALTH > POVERTYLINE) goto(1)
3 collect(benefits)
4 vote(Democrat)
5 if ALIVE=1 goto(3)
7 else goto(4)

Or something like it...

[colorado tanker]

making them relatively good candidates to contain Martian life. These pits are therefore prime targets for possible future spacecraft, robots, and even human interplanetary explorers

I'd be careful about going in there ...

[TheOldLady]

That looks like the pointy end of a pencil pointed straight at the camera.

Sigh... Rorschach strikes again.

[Dust in the Wind]

Been away from the computer. I don't “know” that it is liquid but it looks like a shiny surfaced liquid to me and on this planet sink holes are usually formed by liquids. Thinking the same might hold true elsewhere in the system.