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| − | =A Ho-Hum Place= | + | =Domes, Domes Everywhere= |
| − | Originally published May 28, 2006 | + | Originally published May 22, 2006 |
| | <!-- Start of content --> | | <!-- Start of content --> |
| − | <div class="post" id="post-305"> | + | <div class="post" id="post-290"> |
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| | <div class="storycontent"> | | <div class="storycontent"> |
| − | <p>[[File:Iv_110_h1-1+SMART.jpg|PUTRID-LOIV+SMART]]<br /> | + | <p>[[File:MariusJimlpod.jpg|Marius-Phillips]]<br /> |
| − | <em>right image by European Space Agency (ESA) and left from Lunar Orbiter IV</em></p> | + | <em>image by [mailto:thefamily90@hotmail.com Jim Phillips]</em></p> |
| − | <p>ESA has [http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/SMART-1/SEMGBM9ATME_0.html released] another set of images from the SMART-1 spacecraft that has been orbiting the Moon since November, 2004. The release juxtaposed two images - one a closeup of a cratered swath of the farside and the other a small piece of a nearside mare area. I didn’t recognize where the mare image was and so used the published coordinates and a Lunar Orbiter IV image to place it in a rather nondescript area of Palus Putredinis. The ESA caption used the highland and mare images to point out that one terrain was rougher and more highly cratered - a fundamental observation originally made by Galileo. It is strange that ESA used this particular mare image for it is an atypical mare surface. Only small patches of dark mare are visible, the rest is veneered by ejecta from nearby Autolycus (center top in the Lunar Orbiter image). Small irregular lines of secondary craters are common, especially along some of the ray segments. A few small dark halo impact craters have brought up the dark mare from below the veneer. A pretty ho-hum place - more exciting images are needed!</p> | + | <p>The Marius Hills are one of the delightful mysteries of the Moon. Why is there a strong concentration of domes there? Why are most of the domes steep-sided (notice the triangular shadows on Jim’s low-Sun view)? And why do most of the hemispherical domes lack summit pits? I don’t have the answers for these questions, but this image reveals other features of the Marius Hills that are not well known or may even be unknown. For example, at the far right of the image there is a roughly 50 km wide (for comparison, Marius is 41 km in diameter) rough area that seems to be higher in the center, and to have serated edges to the north (right). This looks like a large volcanic outpouring. It is not very high or steep so perhaps it should be called a dome, but it is different in character to most domes, even large ones like the Valentine Dome and the Gardner Mega-Dome. I would prefer to call it a shield volcano, which on Earth is typically larger than a volcanic dome and perhaps less regular in shape. Also look at the trough at the north end of the image - its just below the shield volcano and extends 100 or more kilometers northward. Large troughs typically form where there is extension - the two sides are pulled away from each other. Again, I don’t know if the trough is real and what its significance is, but it may relate to the fundamental problem of why does the Marius Hills volcanic complex exist. Aren’t you glad you read LPOD to get all your questions answered? Finally, make sure you compare this image with the excellent high Sun [[January_21,_2006|view]] taken by Jérôme Grenier.</p> |
| | <p>[mailto:tychocrater@yahoo.com Chuck Wood]</p> | | <p>[mailto:tychocrater@yahoo.com Chuck Wood]</p> |
| − | <p><strong>Technical Details:</strong><br /> | + | <p><b>Technical Details:</b><br /> |
| − | 10 January, 2006. Advanced Moon Imaging Experiment camera; resolution 180 m/pixel.</p>
| + | May 9, 2006. TMB 8″ f/9 refractor + 4.8X barlow.<br /> |
| − | <p><strong>Related Links:</strong><br /> | + | General Comment: One of the blogs that sometimes links to LPOD mentioned recently that the author “couldn’t understand a word LPOD says.” Please let me know if you share that feeling. I try to explain things (where I understand them!) but if many folks have trouble I will change the level of discussion. </p> |
| − | Rükl chart 22</p> | + | <p><b>Related Links:</b><br /> |
| − | <p><b>Yesterday's LPOD:</b> [[October 9, 2025|L98]] </p> | + | Rükl plates 18 & 29<br /> |
| − | <p><b>Tomorrow's LPOD:</b> [[October 11, 2025|Eclipse Glow]] </p> | + | [[February_23,_2006|Part of the southern Marius Hills]]</p> |
| | + | <p><b>Yesterday's LPOD:</b> [[October 9, 2025|Cherubs in the Corners]] </p> |
| | + | <p><b>Tomorrow's LPOD:</b> [[October 11, 2025|Silly Names]] </p> |
| | </div> | | </div> |
| | <p> </p> | | <p> </p> |
