Huge, deep hole found on Mars...

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L

Looney

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
21,938
5
0
I wonder if the hole ever had water in it (ie was it a lake). Might be a good place to sample for life.
 
AgaBoogaBoo

AgaBoogaBoo

Lifer
Feb 16, 2003
26,108
5
81
Wow, that's pretty cool, opens up a lot of possibilities. What's going on next with missions/trips in terms of Mars? When are we sending the next rover there?
 
destrekor

destrekor

Lifer
Nov 18, 2005
28,799
359
126
Originally posted by: d3n
its on the side of a dormant volcano. Its probably a massive magma chamber that has collapsed. I would be really interested to see how big it really is.
Click to expand...

even if it is, the Tharsis Bulge is about 6 miles above the land around it. meaning, if its just a collapsed magma chamber, it could go to at least the base of the bulge. A 6 mile deep cave would be sweet to explore.

however, with holes being in other spots, its quite obvious its some civilization's entrances to their habitats. ;)
 
Jeff7

Jeff7

Lifer
Jan 4, 2001
41,596
20
81
Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
Wow, that's pretty cool, opens up a lot of possibilities. What's going on next with missions/trips in terms of Mars? When are we sending the next rover there?
Click to expand...
2009 - the Mars Science Lab, a big sucker powered by the heat formed from plutonium decay, so no worries this time about dusty solar panels. It'll be able to pick up rocks, crush them, and analyze the insides. It also has a laser that it can use to ablate the outer layers of rocks, and will be able to get data about their composition.


From the article:
Not only are natural caves of biological interest, Boston says, they could also serve as habitats for future human explorers - nifty underground housing to protect against the high-radiation environment of Mars. Additionally, caves offer easier subsurface access for direct exploration and drilling, she suggests, and may provide extractable minerals, gases, and ices.
Click to expand...
One thing I still don't like about these caves - they apparently don't offer much protection from meteorites, since they seem to just punch right through.

And a bit about the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter - its camera can record very faint light levels, so if this was just a shadowed crater, you'd still be able to make out the details inside it. Word is that it's around 130 meters deep.
Specs on MRO's HiRISE camera
 
Kalmah

Kalmah

Diamond Member
Oct 2, 2003
3,692
1
76
It's not really a hole.. Vaders Death Star just happens to be orbiting around Mars currently while they get ready to blow up Earth. It appears to be a hole.
 
D

dude8604

Platinum Member
Oct 3, 2001
2,680
0
0
Originally posted by: ForumMaster
god! that first thing that came to my mind:
Behold...the Great Stone Face of Mars. The only known entrance to the Martian reservation.
What about the Great Stone Ass of Mars?
Well, yeah, but it's way over the other side of the planet.
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a :cookie: to anyone how remembers where this is from!
Click to expand...

Futurama..
 
AgaBoogaBoo

AgaBoogaBoo

Lifer
Feb 16, 2003
26,108
5
81
Originally posted by: Jeff7
Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
Wow, that's pretty cool, opens up a lot of possibilities. What's going on next with missions/trips in terms of Mars? When are we sending the next rover there?
Click to expand...
2009 - the Mars Science Lab, a big sucker powered by the heat formed from plutonium decay, so no worries this time about dusty solar panels. It'll be able to pick up rocks, crush them, and analyze the insides. It also has a laser that it can use to ablate the outer layers of rocks, and will be able to get data about their composition.
Click to expand...
I thought they were getting rid of that method (reverse peltier effect) and implementing something else nuclear related. I had read about this quite a while ago and forget the details.

In any case, that method works well IMO, probably won't provide tons of power, but still a good amount for them to work with.

I wonder how their efficiency is on that now... I remember that they were working on bringing the efficiency as high as possible. I want to know how much plutonium they're going to use and how much heat that will develop.
 
foghorn67

foghorn67

Lifer
Jan 3, 2006
11,883
63
91
It was a well in ancient times.
Marvin the Martian: "This is madness"

Gerard the Martian: "THIS IS MARS!!!!"
 
xSkyDrAx

xSkyDrAx

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2003
7,706
1
0
Originally posted by: foghorn67
It was a well in ancient times.
Marvin the Martian: "This is madness"

Gerard the Martian: "THIS IS MARS!!!!"
Click to expand...

:laugh:MFAO!
 
pontifex

pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
43,804
46
91
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!
 
K

KDOG

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
5,525
14
81
We need to make up a probe really quick, lob it over to mars, and send it right down that thing to see whats in there...
 
meltdown75

meltdown75

Lifer
Nov 17, 2004
37,548
7
81
Originally posted by: KDOG
We need to make up a probe really quick, lob it over to mars, and send it right down that thing to see whats in there...
Click to expand...
Only if it is shaped like a giant donger, balls and all.
 
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