Beagle Crater on Mars (APOD 19 Sep 2006)

orin stepanek · Post by **orin stepanek** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 4:00 pm

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060919.html

With all the sand in the bottom; do you suppose that the crater may have been filled with water? Or maybe it becomes a trap for the wind storms on Mars?

Orin

Qev · Post by **Qev** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 4:11 pm

Blowing sand would certainly tend to fill a depression like that, and I imagine the surface features of the sand are wind-shaped, but who knows what's underneath?

iamlucky13 · Post by **iamlucky13** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 4:58 pm

Agreed. All of the craters observed by the two rovers so far have had at least some sand deposited on their floors. This makes sense in comparison to what we see on the deserts of Earth, where dunes change relatively rapidly over time and features are frequently covered and uncovered by blowing sand.

Also, I believe most or perhaps all of the craters observed so far are believed to have formed after free-standing water is theorized to have disappeared from the surface.

Dana McPeek · Post by **Dana McPeek** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 8:58 pm

Very impressive.

Items of note:
Large rock at very bottom left of photo shows little erosion. Where did it come from?
Also note the mini "avalanche" in the far center of the crater. note that the rocks show less erosion. Probably left over from a large ejecta rock sitting right on the edge. Erosion destabilized it, eventually causing it to fall back in, and apart.

And I am sure that the sand in the bottom was deposited by winds. note the bottom right. The large flat rock surfaces are covered with pea gravel. Gravel too large to be moved into the crater by the last large wind, yet the surface has been swept clean of sand from lesser winds since.

Great job NASA!

BMAONE23 · Post by **BMAONE23** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 10:16 pm

Interesting rock.
If you look at the full resolution image, look in the area just above and pan slowly left of the mast and you will find a rock that resembles a crushed tin can. I tried to download a cropped image but couldn't get it to go.

Dana McPeek · Post by **Dana McPeek** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 10:40 pm

Yes, it does look like a crunched can...

I managed to crop it down to 172K file, but can't uplaod it here...
send me an email and I will send it back. danamcpeek@earthlink.net
Dana

orin stepanek · Post by **orin stepanek** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 10:50 pm

when I download the full resolution image I get a panorama and part of the rover. If I magnify the picture it makes if very difficult to pan across as I get way too much picture. The only thing that looks like a can to me is on the rover.
Orin

Dana McPeek · Post by **Dana McPeek** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 11:12 pm

Maybe we can get the "Face on Mars" fanatics to start a crusade that this is proof of life on Mars!!!!
(Would be great fun to watch!)
[img]http://home.earthlink.net/~danasebay/be ... tincan.jpg
[/img]
http://home.earthlink.net/~danasebay/be ... tincan.jpg

Wadsworth · Post by **Wadsworth** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 11:57 pm

It seems to have a loop formation on the top. You can see light going through the 'loop' casting a crescent shadow.

The 'loop' resembles a piece of thin sheered metal. hmmf

BMAONE23 · Post by **BMAONE23** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 4:35 am

Thats the rock

Dana McPeek · Post by **Dana McPeek** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 5:18 am

Can you identify the logo? Looks like Mountain Dew...

craterchains · Post by **craterchains** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 8:46 pm

Alot of people in war torn countries have seen many things just like these.

Nothing new, just all blown to hell and gone.

Norval

Dana McPeek · Post by **Dana McPeek** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 9:10 pm

The Mars Crazies (Marzies? Like Lunies?) will have a field day with this one.

I can see the headlines: Ancient Earthlings Leave Litter On Mars!

Al Gore will be blaming Americans for the total destruction of the Martian ecosystem.

The EPA will demand from Congress $100 billion to clean up the mess

Jimmy Carter will want the build a special Habitat for Humanity to house the proof of Americans destruction of Mars

orin stepanek · Post by **orin stepanek** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 9:21 pm

Hey Dana! here's one for you on the lite side.

http://www.rdrop.com/users/tblackb/life ... _Image.htm

Orin

Dana McPeek · Post by **Dana McPeek** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 9:50 pm

So THAT is where he moved to!

Can hardly blame him... all those itiotic tourists traipsing through his back yard... taking pot shots at him... all he wanted was to be left alone...

(btw, I want credit for the term Marzies!)

BMAONE23 · Post by **BMAONE23** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 1:06 am

It is obvious that we are responsible for global warming on Venus

Dana McPeek · Post by **Dana McPeek** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 3:37 am

well, of COURSE we are!

According to Al Gore, AMERICANS (not the industrializing Chinese or Indians -only 3.4 BILLION of them comparred to our 300 million AMERICANS) ONLY AMERICANS are responsible for global warming. Not the dozen volcanos that are active around the world EVERY day belching millions of tons of dust, smoke and fumes into the atmosphere, but AMERICANS are the sole, exclusive cause of Global Warming. (maybe because we no longer sacrifice to the goddess Pele?)

In fact it was the AMERICANS who were responsible for the global warming that caused the last Ice Age 50 million years ago. Specifically, the AMERICANS that did it.

Stupidity like that truly HAS no limits.

videograham · Post by **videograham** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 7:47 am

I imagine this has already gone through a lot of people's minds but is it possible that it coule be a piece of a spacecraft burnt up in the atmosphere? For example, Mars Observer or Mars Climate Orbiter or even something older?

Dana McPeek · Post by **Dana McPeek** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 8:02 am

No, it didn't enter any or our minds that it was space debris/junk.

It is just a rock, with the light in just the right direction, to make it appear to be a crushed tin can. Just like the "face" on Mars, it's just a rock under proper lighting conditions. Under different light, there is no doubt that you are looking at a rock.

Consider Occams Razor before considering something as outlandish/impossible that it might be space junk.

Dana

Starship Asterisk*

Beagle Crater on Mars (APOD 19 Sep 2006)

Beagle Crater on Mars (APOD 19 Sep 2006)

Fabulous detail

Tin Can on mars

Tin Can on Mars

Can on Mars

Life on Mars

Global warming on Venus

tin can on mars 19/09/06

can on Mars