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Largest canyon in the solar system revealed in stunning new images
Lice Science ^ | 04 January 2021 | Brandon Specktor

Posted on 01/04/2021 5:42:32 PM PST by BenLurkin

About 87 million miles (140 million kilometers) above the Grand Canyon, an even larger, grander abyss cuts through the gut of the Red Planet. Known as Valles Marineris, this system of deep, vast canyons runs more than 2,500 miles (4,000 km) along the Martian equator, spanning nearly a quarter of the planet's circumference. This gash in the bedrock of Mars is nearly 10 times as long as Earth's Grand Canyon and three times deeper, making it the single largest canyon in the solar system — and, according to ongoing research from the University of Arizona (UA) in Tucson, one of the most mysterious.

Using an incredibly high-resolution camera called HiRISE (short for High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, UA scientists have been taking close-up shots of the planet's strangest features since 2006. Despite some truly breathtaking images of Valles Marineris — like the one below, posted to the HiRISE website on Dec. 26, 2020 — scientists still aren't sure how the gargantuan canyon complex formed.

(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Science
KEYWORDS: astronomy; canyon; mars; science; vallesmarineris
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To: BenLurkin

“Canyon was once an uninhabitable Mars-like world of the Kzin Patriarchy originally called...

Great pics!


21 posted on 01/04/2021 8:13:24 PM PST by mrsmith (US MEDIA: " Every 'White' cop is a criminal! And all the 'non-white' criminals saints!")
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To: BenLurkin

Second largest. The largest canyon belongs to Hope Solo.


22 posted on 01/04/2021 8:23:18 PM PST by Clemenza
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Bfl


23 posted on 01/04/2021 8:45:13 PM PST by Drew68
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To: BenLurkin

Valles Marineris is perhaps better compared to rift valleys on Earth, and we have a couple big ones too...

While reading up on Mars (had not done so recently) I found an interesting article on Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakes_on_Mars

From that and other reading, I’d say that in the distant past Mars’ conditions would have been, at times, almost Earthlike but even more, shall we say “exhilarating”. ;-)

(Due credit for use of the word “exhilarating”, regarding planetary conditions, to Star Trek and the character Kruge.)


24 posted on 01/04/2021 8:50:45 PM PST by Paul R. (You know your pullets are dumb if they don't recognize a half Whopper as food!)
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To: The Truth Will Make You Free
The creepy thing about 'nit picking' is that I used that in a sentence in one of my GMAIL emails.

Starting the next day, and for weeks after, I got Google ads for hair lice products.

Google claims that no person scans the contents of personal emails, but evidently they have computer AI that does and tries to generate relevant ad content.

Privacy is dead.

25 posted on 01/04/2021 10:56:58 PM PST by who_would_fardels_bear (This is not my current tagline.)
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To: BenLurkin
" scientists still aren't sure how the gargantuan canyon complex formed."

Bloody hell! these clowns are supposed to be the brightest and best of humanity.....

And they can't hypothesize how the hell a canyon is formed?

Mars quake?

billions of years of whatever passes for water there running over land?

Hells bells, revoke their paychecks, and get them jobs in McDonalds.

26 posted on 01/05/2021 2:54:53 AM PST by SERE_DOC ( The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it. TJ)
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To: blueunicorn6
We get to call it whatever we want.

Bob

Call it Bob, is my vote.

27 posted on 01/05/2021 3:00:00 AM PST by SERE_DOC ( The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it. TJ)
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To: SERE_DOC

I recall some comedy sketch where the guy reaches the Pacific Ocean and discovers it. It went something like:

“I hearby name this the Bob Johnson Ocean after me!

No - the Robert Johnson Ocean!

The Robert Ericson Johnson Ocean.

The Robert Ericson Johnson the Second Ocean.

Okay - to be specific - the Mister Robert Ericson Johnson the Second Ocean!”

Of course it got shortened to the Pacific.


28 posted on 01/05/2021 3:11:51 AM PST by 21twelve (Ever Vigilant. Never Fearful!)
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