Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)
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ESP_011386_2065_cut.jpgCollapse Pit in Tractus Fossae (edm - Vertical View - Natural Colors; credits: Lunar Explorer Italia)56 visiteThis HiRISE image shows a collapse pit in Tractus Fossae, a Region of large Ridges and Troughs created by Tectonic Activity.
The Fossae occur on the Tharsis Volcanic Rise, a giant region of enhanced volcanic activity that includes the 3 large volcanoes Ascraeus Mons, Pavonis Mons and Arsia Mons.
The Pit in this image has very steep walls, and so only a narrow arc is illuminated by Sunlight. The rest of the Pit is in dark shadow.
However, a stretched version of the image shows details of the pit floor, due to a small amount of scattered Sunlight.
Pits like this form by collapse into underground voids, such as those left by propagating magma-filled dikes.
They may sometimes have overhanging walls, although in this case the walls can be seen and appear nearly vertical. Some similar features are found on Earth: Devil’s Throat, in Hawaii, is one example.
Other similar examples have been imaged on Mars as well.MareKromium
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ESP_011403_1905_RED_abrowse.jpgCone at the Source of Athabasca Valles (Natural - but strongly enhanced - Colors; credits: Lunar Explorer Italia)56 visiteMars Local Time: 15:50 (middle afternoon)
Coord. (centered): 10,2° North Lat. and 157,4° East Long.
Spacecraft altitude: 278,4 Km (such as about 174,0 miles)
Original image scale range: 27,8 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~ 84 cm across are resolved
Map projected scale: 25 cm/pixel
Map projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR
Emission Angle: 7,7°
Phase Angle: 50,7°
Solar Incidence Angle: 58° (meaning that the Sun is about 32° above the Local Horizon)
Solar Longitude: 183,6° (Northern Autumn)
Credits: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
Additional process. and coloring: Lunar Explorer ItaliaMareKromium
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ESP_011460_0980_RED_abrowse.jpgMonitor Seasonal Changes at a South Polar Cracked and Gullied Site (Natural Colors; credits: Lunar Explorer Italia)70 visiteMars Local Time: 17:02 (middle afternoon)
Coord. (centered): 81,7° South Lat. and 66,3° East Long.
Spacecraft altitude: 246,5 Km (such as about 154,1 miles)
Original image scale range: 49,3 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~ 1,48 mt across are resolved
Map projected scale: 50 cm/pixel
Map projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR
Emission Angle: 1,2°
Phase Angle: 86,5°
Solar Incidence Angle: 85° (meaning that the Sun is about 5° above the Local Horizon)
Solar Longitude: 186,1° (Northern Autumn)
Credits: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
Additional process. and coloring: Lunar Explorer ItaliaMareKromium
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ESP_011477_1275_RED_abrowse.jpgHuge Seepage in Argyre Region (Natural Colors; credits: Lunar Explorer Italia)64 visiteMars Local Time: 16:02 (middle afternoon)
Coord. (centered): 52,0° South Lat. and 304,9° East Long.
Spacecraft altitude: 251,0 Km (such as about 156,9 miles)
Original image scale range: 25,1 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~ 75 cm across are resolved
Map projected scale: 25 cm/pixel
Map projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR
Emission Angle: 1,6°
Phase Angle: 71,6°
Solar Incidence Angle: 70° (meaning that the Sun is about 20° above the Local Horizon)
Solar Longitude: 186,9° (Northern Autumn)
Credits: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
Additional process. and coloring: Lunar Explorer ItaliaMareKromium
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ESP_011496_1100_RED_abrowse.jpgJeans Crater's Dunefield Seasonal Monitoring (Natural Colors; credits: Lunar Explorer Italia)55 visiteMars Local Time: 16:25 (middle afternoon)
Coord. (centered): 69,6° South Lat. and 153,3° East Long.
Spacecraft altitude: 251,1 Km (such as about 156,9 miles)
Original image scale range: 50,2 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~ 1,51 mt across are resolved
Map projected scale: 50 cm/pixel
Map projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR
Emission Angle: 9,5°
Phase Angle: 71,0°
Solar Incidence Angle: 79° (meaning that the Sun is about 11° above the Local Horizon)
Solar Longitude: 187,7° (Northern Autumn)
Credits: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
Additional process. and coloring: Lunar Explorer ItaliaMareKromium
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ESP_011526_0980_RED_abrowse.jpgMonitor Seasonal Changes at a South Polar Cracked and Gullied Site (Natural Colors; credits: Lunar Explorer Italia)56 visiteMars Local Time: 17:10 (middle afternoon)
Coord. (centered): 81,7° South Lat. and 66,3° East Long.
Spacecraft altitude: 246,5 Km (such as about 154,1 miles)
Original image scale range: 49,3 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~ 1,48 mt across are resolved
Map projected scale: 50 cm/pixel
Map projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR
Emission Angle: 2,6°
Phase Angle: 82,3°
Solar Incidence Angle: 84° (meaning that the Sun is about 6° above the Local Horizon)
Solar Longitude: 189,1° (Northern Autumn)
Credits: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
Additional process. and coloring: Lunar Explorer ItaliaMareKromium
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ESP_011527_1325_RED_abrowse.jpgSouthern Dunes and Volatiles (Natural Colors; credits: Lunar Explorer Italia)55 visitenessun commentoMareKromium
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ESP_011543_1665_RED_abrowse.jpgPossible "Megabreccia" in Coprates Chasma (Natural Colors; credits: Lunar Explorer talia)55 visitenessun commentoMareKromium
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ESP_011575_1105_RED_abrowse.jpgSeasonal Haloes and Fractal Patterns (Natural Colors; credits: Lunar Explorer Italia)59 visiteNote Lunexit:
gli "Haloes" sono gli "Aloni di Sublimazione" ossìa quelle porzioni di terreno che, quando la temperatura superficiale del Pianeta va ad alzarsi, si scoprono/liberano dei ghiacci e delle brine di CO2 o d'acqua che li ricoprono - per sublimazione, appunto (ossìa mediante il passaggio diretto di un elemento dalla forma solida a quella gassosa).
Questo disgelo (---> "thaw"), di regola (ed a seguito delle osservazioni che abbiamo fatto) procede in maniera aureolare, partendo da un'area leggermente dislivellata (in altezza - dossi, rim di cratero ed altri rilievi) rispetto al Datum e quindi allargandosi a "macchia di leopardo" (e dando quindi l'impressione, nelle osservazioni fatte dall'alto e da distanze sensibili, che si formino, sulla superfcie, dei veri e propri aloni).
I "Fractal Patterns" sono, invece, i "Disegni Frattali" ossìa quelle configurazioni del suolo a sembianza di figura frattale (ossìa eternamente ripetitiva di se stessa) che si producono sempre durante la fase di disgelo del Suolo Marziano (e che possiamo vedere nelle Regioni Polari e presso-Polari, durante la Primavera di Marte, sia a Nord, sia a Sud).
La loro osservazione dall'alto e da grandi distanze (nell'ordine delle centinaia di Km) è produttiva di incredibili effetti ottici i quali hanno suggerito - a molti Ricercatori di Frontiera (su tutti: Skipper ed Hoagland) - l'idea che, su Marte, possano esistere delle forme esotiche di vegetazione (exx.: gli "Arthur Clarke Trees" ed i "Polar Pine Trees"). I "Fractal Patterns", però - e come capite bene - non sono rilievi che si sviluppano in altezza (come alberi), ma sono dei semplici "disegni" che appaiono al suolo e che sviluppano sempre e solo in mera estensione.
Se vogliamo, essi possono essere assimilati - da un punto di vista meramente visivo - alle famose "Piste di Nazca" (anche se, lo ripetiamo, i Disegni Frattali sono "Surface Features" DEL TUTTO ed ASSOLUTAMENTE NATURALI).MareKromium
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ESP_011580_1255_RED_abrowse.jpgThe Dunes of Russel Crater (Natural Colors; credits: Lunar Explorer Italia)54 visitenessun commentoMareKromium
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ESP_011605_1170_RED_abrowse.jpgDefrosting Malea Patera (Natural Colors; credits: Lunar Explorer Italia)74 visiteMalea Patera is one of a group of ancient volcanoes that ring the Hellas Impact Basin. This HiRISE image was intended to investigate the nature of the volcanic materials at this location. However, the image was taken in early Spring for this location in the Southern Hemisphere and so the ground is covered with bright frost except for some dark splotches found in discrete patches.
This is where the sunlight has penetrated the frost and initiated defrosting around discrete spots.
Clearly something is different about the patches where this defrosting has started before any other locations. One possibility is that these are (frost covered) dark sand dunes that heat up more easily than the surrounding terrain. However, we will need to take a new image in the Summer time to really know what is happening here.
Mars Local Time: 16:11 (middle afternoon)
Coord. (centered): 62,5° South Lat. and 53,3° East Long.
Spacecraft altitude: 249,1 Km (such as about 155,7 miles)
Original image scale range: 24,9 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~75 cm across are resolved
Map projected scale: 25 cm/pixel
Map projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR
Emission Angle: 0,9°
Phase Angle: 72,4°
Solar Incidence Angle: 73° (meaning that the Sun is about 17° above the Local Horizon)
Solar Longitude: 192,6° (Northern Autumn)
Credits: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
Additional process. and coloring: Lunar Explorer ItaliaMareKromium
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ESP_011605_1170_RGB.jpgDefrosting Malea Patera (edm - possible True Colors; credits: Dr M. Faccin)55 visitenessun commentoMareKromium
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