September 13, 2020
LRO Catches Up with Pau
Originally published March 26, 2011
large image at 200% by K.C. Paul, Hong Kong, and LRO inset from LRO nearside mosaic.
Perhaps this strange ridge-to-ridge rille west of the Straight Range looks familiar. I first noticed
a piece of it on Alan Friedman's LPOD and them traced it on Lunar Orbiter IV images. KC's new
image is the best depiction I've seen of the rille in telescopic imagery - it compares very favorably
with the LRO WAC view (inset), including its extent beyond the southern-most ridge. The odd
shallow crater near bottom center of KC's image has been discussed recently, with the end of the
rille above noted as possibly continuing as an uncollapsed lava tube. As I stare at KC's image I
begin to see at the edge of interpretability possible broad sinuous bends that could be the rille
continuing south of the shallow crater. But there is no hint of them in the LRO view. I remind myself
of the over-interpretation of photographic grain as real features on the Moon by Krieger in the early
1900s and quietly slink off to bed.
Chuck Wood
Technical Details
March 14, 2011 at 11h58m UT. 10" reflector + 2.5X barlow + DMK camera
Related Links
Rükl plate 11
Yesterday's LPOD: Hello From the Universe
Tomorrow's LPOD: Geology Lesson
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