Posted on 03/09/2014 12:57:07 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Explanation: What created this unusual hole in Mars? The hole was discovered by chance in 2011 on images of the dusty slopes of Mars' Pavonis Mons volcano taken by the HiRISE instrument aboard the robotic Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter currently circling Mars. The hole appears to be an opening to an underground cavern, partly illuminated on the image right. Analysis of this and follow-up images revealed the opening to be about 35 meters across, while the interior shadow angle indicates that the underlying cavern is roughly 20 meters deep. Why there is a circular crater surrounding this hole remains a topic of speculation, as is the full extent of the underlying cavern. Holes such as this are of particular interest because their interior caves are relatively protected from the harsh surface of Mars, making them relatively good candidates to contain Martian life. These pits are therefore prime targets for possible future spacecraft, robots, and even human interplanetary explorers.
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Looks like a big carbuncle or a really big zit.
Must be the result of Martianogennic Global Warming.
Either that, or Bush is up to his old tricks again.
Whatever the reason, it be rasisss!
Actually reminds me of a *cold* solder joint on a circuit board when looked at with a X10 microscope.
In particular the the circular cratering (break) just inside of the outer circumference.
Saw the exact same pattern and look (and I mean exact) when manufacturing didn't use enough heat while soldering.
Cause the type of thermal intermittent that would *eat your lunch* to find :)
It has moved, last time it was on the other side of the page.
It’s not a hole, it is a hatch.
Reminds me when I was a kid we saw these ‘ant-eater’s’ holes in the sand. An ant would fall in and a couple of big claws would come out and catch the ant and eat it up. Actually we would catch an ant and put it in the hole to see the ant-eater do his thing. Maybe Mars has some really big ant-eaters waiting for us.
Giant gophers.
Maybe martian antlions.
I was thinking the same thing! It is a giant, fricken, Martian ant lion!
Looks to me like the area surrounding the hole fell into it after an opening was created, for whatever reason.
Used to love feeding those things. They’re the Sarlacc Pit Monster of the insect world.
Sarlacc.
Looks like a meteor hole on the Ringworld.
Perhaps some sort of underground spring that formed an ice dome in the center. The spring dries up, the ice dome evaporates, the hole forms. Maybe there is still ice in the bottom that is still evaporating.
Final resting place of a crashed Russian probe.
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