Mars moon emerges from the dark
BBC | 11-11-04 | staff
Posted on 11/11/2004 5:30:19 PM EST by Nachum
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1277762/posts
The Violent History of MarsAbstract. With overwhelming evidence now available for the basic correctness of the exploded planet hypothesis, questions arise about the details of the most recent such explosions responsible for shaping Mars and its orbit as we know them today. This study shows that the basic scenario suggested by the evidence and described previously stands up under rigorous scrutiny despite the improbability of passing these new tests by chance. And it allows us to derive specific information about the properties and history of the bodies involved that could only be guessed at heretofore. The solution we adopt is not unique, but satisfies all previous constraints and leads to the present day orbit and rotation period of Mars. "Planet V", the original parent of Mars, was apparently of "helium class", a proposed new class of planets. It had an estimated mass of 2.4 Earth masses, a circular solar orbit at about 1.5 au from the Sun, and two "twin" moons. The inner moon, which later became today's planet Mars, originally had a circular satellite orbit with a period of 20 hours. Tidal locking made that its spin period as well. Outer moon "Body C" originally had a circular satellite orbit with a period of 40 hours and a mass of 86% of that of Mars. Following the explosion of Planet V 65 million years ago, Body C and Mars were left in a mutual, highly eccentric, prograde satellite orbit while continuing to orbit the Sun on an altered solar orbit. Tidal evolution continued until the explosion of Body C 3.2 million years ago, leaving Mars alone in its present solar orbit with relatively high eccentricity for a planet and a prograde rotation period of 1.026 days. Mars today shows the many scars that exhibit this violent history, seen dramatically in the accompanying video.
by Tom Van Flandern
Meta Research Bulletin
March 15 2007 issue
American Institute of Physics Bulletin of Physics NewsThe surface of Mars has been mapped to 13-meter precision, better than for some places on Earth. Laser light sent from and returning to the orbiting Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft reveals that the southern hemisphere is one big highland (6 km higher) compared to the northern hemisphere. Surface water, if there was any, would have collected in the North, although there is not yet definitive proof of any boreal ocean. One thing that is known about the northern lowland: it is the flattest place in the solar system. The South's elevation is due at least in part to an immense amount of material raised during an ancient impact which fashioned a huge crater known as the Hellas basin. (Science, 28 May 1999.)
by Phillip F. Schewe and Ben Stein
Number 432 (Story #3), June 7, 1999
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