Glaciers in the Phlegra Mountains on Mars
Click for full image.
Cool image time! The photo to the right, cropped to post here, is just one of the many hundreds taken by the high resolution camera on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) as well as Europe’s Mars Express orbiter showing the thick icy glacial flows that surround practically every mountain or hill in the Phlegra mountains of Mars.
This picture was taken on November 3, 2021, and shows the eroding foot of an eroding glacial flow coming down from a small hill in a southeastern part of these mountains dubbed Phlegra Dorsa. The downward grade is to the north.
At 30 degrees north latitude it is not surprising these glacial flows are eroding, as they are at the southernmost limit of the mid-latitudes bands where such glaciers are found. Closer to the equator scientists have yet to find much evidence of ice.
The repeating arcs at the foot of this glacier suggest that it pushed downward in cycles, with each later cycle traveling a shorter distance. This supposition makes sense, considering scientists think the ebb and flow of these Martian glaciers has been determined by the cyclical changes in the planet’s rotational tilt.
The overview map below not only gives the context, it shows this location relative to the candidate landing sites for SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft.
The yellow dot indicates the location of these eroded glaciers. The black dots were high-res images taken initially by MRO when SpaceX’s was planning to land a Dragon capsule on Mars. The numbered white dots were later images taken for Starship. The red dots indicate Starship’s four prime candidate landing zones presently being considered.
Today’s image is about 150 miles away from the nearest Starship landing site, #9 to the northwest.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Click for full image.
Cool image time! The photo to the right, cropped to post here, is just one of the many hundreds taken by the high resolution camera on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) as well as Europe’s Mars Express orbiter showing the thick icy glacial flows that surround practically every mountain or hill in the Phlegra mountains of Mars.
This picture was taken on November 3, 2021, and shows the eroding foot of an eroding glacial flow coming down from a small hill in a southeastern part of these mountains dubbed Phlegra Dorsa. The downward grade is to the north.
At 30 degrees north latitude it is not surprising these glacial flows are eroding, as they are at the southernmost limit of the mid-latitudes bands where such glaciers are found. Closer to the equator scientists have yet to find much evidence of ice.
The repeating arcs at the foot of this glacier suggest that it pushed downward in cycles, with each later cycle traveling a shorter distance. This supposition makes sense, considering scientists think the ebb and flow of these Martian glaciers has been determined by the cyclical changes in the planet’s rotational tilt.
The overview map below not only gives the context, it shows this location relative to the candidate landing sites for SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft.
The yellow dot indicates the location of these eroded glaciers. The black dots were high-res images taken initially by MRO when SpaceX’s was planning to land a Dragon capsule on Mars. The numbered white dots were later images taken for Starship. The red dots indicate Starship’s four prime candidate landing zones presently being considered.
Today’s image is about 150 miles away from the nearest Starship landing site, #9 to the northwest.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
“I have seen things you people wouldn’t believe.
“While climbing the icy Phlegra Mountains on Mars, I’ve been enveloped by lightning infused dust storms 20 kilometers high…..”
Replicant Anton
Philip K Dick
“Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”
Random House Audio
https://youtu.be/lpNbafxtz54
9:14:55
Wayne,
Do YouTubers (specifically you) Dream of Electric Subscribers?
I suppose I should express gratitude. It looks like I’ll have an extra nine hours to listen to PKD since
Winter Storm Kenan is on its way with Heavy Snow, Strong Winds and hopefully Blizzard Conditions.
“John Carter of Mars”
Bob Clampett, test animation (1936)
https://youtu.be/bTAlgZlqwnQ
2:27
Original Mark–
I’m on the Lake Michigan coast, we just had 2 back-to-back snowstorms (the infamous “lake effect snow.”) Very cold (5-ish) but nothing like Minnesota.
Har– I don’t even have an account for YT. Unfortunately (or not) the monetization-window has come and gone with them.
The Soviet Mars 3 probe made the first successful soft landing on Mars ( May 28, 1971 at 15:26:30 UTC), although it stopped transmitting data 110 seconds later. Here is video with interesting original film sequences and animations.
“The Secret Landings on Mars”
” …. The (Mars 2) mission was shortly followed by Mars 3, which completed its goal of becoming the first spacecraft to land on the red planet and capture footage of its rocky surface. Minutes after its activation, the rover began transmitting data back to Earth. But 14 seconds after it started moving, the first man-made object to reach Mars lost signal. Before going black, the rover transmitted a fuzzy black and white image. It then went silent forever. ….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuh0WkHjMYY
Correction to my comment on the Soviet Mars 3 probe:
Launch: May 28, 1971 at 15:26:30 UTC
Landing: December 2, 1971 13:52 UTC