November 2, 2006

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Move Over Orbiter

Murchison-Pallas-09-14-06.jpg
image by Wes Higgins

The ejecta from the excavation of the Imbrium impact basin plastered pasty material across this part of the lunar surface. This phenomenal image - perhaps the best I have ever seen of the Moon - shows rounded topography and most remarkably of all, what appears to be a flow of ejecta with margins on the left side of the 50 km crater Pallas. In the upper left the tightly sinuous Bode Rille cuts though another smoother part of the ejecta (which veneers more textured debris), whereas an unnamed linear rille has been coated by the ejecta. Another possible flow structure occurs at the juncture of Pallas and Murchison where a delta of ejecta seems to have flowed onto Murchison’s floor. Just off the image to the right is Triesnecker and its long thin secondary crater chain extending to the northwest. The chain drapes over a roughly 20 km dark spot perhaps fed by a sinuous rille that hugs the edge of the hilly terrain. There are many layers of history beautifully exposed here.

Chuck Wood

Technical Details:
September 14, 2006 , 18″ Starmaster Reflector, Infinity 2-1M camera, MAP processing (47 points) stack of 245 frames

Related Links:
Rükl plate 33
Wes’ website
A less sharp view

Yesterday's LPOD: Ups & Downs

Tomorrow's LPOD: Continuing East


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