Cones south of Starship’s prime landing sites on Mars
Click for full image.
Cool image time! The photo to the right, cropped and reduced to post here, was taken on May 7, 2022 by the high resolution camera on Mars Reconnaissnace Orbiter (MRO). It shows what the scientists have labeled as “Cones in Phlegra.”
Cones such as these are one of the prime geological mysteries of Mars’ northern lowland plains. Scientists do not know yet whether they are either mud or lava volcanoes, or even if they are sedimentary mesas that resisted subsequent erosion. In fact, it was hoped by some American scientists that the Chinese would send its Zhurong rover north towards a nearby cone to find out, but alas, the Chinese decided to head south instead.
Zhurong however was on the other side of Mars. The overview map below shows us where these cones are located.
These cones, marked by the white cross, are about 300 miles southeast of the Phlegra Mountains, where orbital images have found extensive evidence of glaciers and near surface ice. These cones are also about 300 to 600 miles from the four prime landing sites proposed by scientists for SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft (indicated by the red dots and described here). The numbered white dots are other MRO images of potential Starship landing sites, while the black dots are MRO images covering a proposed Dragon landing zone.
At those Starship candidate landing sites orbital data has suggested there is ample water very close to the surface. These cones however are farther south, at about 30 degrees north latitude. South of this latitude there is little or no evidence of near surface ice. Whether these cones resulted from underground ice being pushed up like lava is thus an important geological question, both for scientists and future colonists, since finding water nearer to the equator, where the environment is slightly more benign, would be helpful for settlement.
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 print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. 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 and reduced to post here, was taken on May 7, 2022 by the high resolution camera on Mars Reconnaissnace Orbiter (MRO). It shows what the scientists have labeled as “Cones in Phlegra.”
Cones such as these are one of the prime geological mysteries of Mars’ northern lowland plains. Scientists do not know yet whether they are either mud or lava volcanoes, or even if they are sedimentary mesas that resisted subsequent erosion. In fact, it was hoped by some American scientists that the Chinese would send its Zhurong rover north towards a nearby cone to find out, but alas, the Chinese decided to head south instead.
Zhurong however was on the other side of Mars. The overview map below shows us where these cones are located.
These cones, marked by the white cross, are about 300 miles southeast of the Phlegra Mountains, where orbital images have found extensive evidence of glaciers and near surface ice. These cones are also about 300 to 600 miles from the four prime landing sites proposed by scientists for SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft (indicated by the red dots and described here). The numbered white dots are other MRO images of potential Starship landing sites, while the black dots are MRO images covering a proposed Dragon landing zone.
At those Starship candidate landing sites orbital data has suggested there is ample water very close to the surface. These cones however are farther south, at about 30 degrees north latitude. South of this latitude there is little or no evidence of near surface ice. Whether these cones resulted from underground ice being pushed up like lava is thus an important geological question, both for scientists and future colonists, since finding water nearer to the equator, where the environment is slightly more benign, would be helpful for settlement.
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 print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. 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
Looks like holes left by Rain drops
Gophers. Big Martian gophers.