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Astronomy Picture of the Day -- A Sailing Stone in Death Valley
NASA ^ | February 22, 2012 | (see photo credit)

Posted on 02/21/2012 9:54:30 PM PST by SunkenCiv

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[Credit: Nathan Alexander, Wikipedia]

1 posted on 02/21/2012 9:54:40 PM PST by SunkenCiv
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To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; married21; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; ...

I think there's been a topic or two about these before, but here ya go!

2 posted on 02/21/2012 9:55:45 PM PST by SunkenCiv (FReep this FReepathon!)
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To: SunkenCiv

You rock!


3 posted on 02/21/2012 9:56:57 PM PST by null and void (Day 1127 of America's ObamaVacation from reality [Heroes aren't made, Frank, they're cornered...])
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To: SunkenCiv

And what does this have to do with Astronomy? I enjoy the “Astronomy Picture of the Day” greatly, however ...


4 posted on 02/21/2012 10:01:16 PM PST by doc1019 (Romney will never get my vote!)
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To: SunkenCiv

Did you know that Death Valley is sinking? The valley has been sinking about 1/2 in per year.In relation to the valley, the Black Mountains under you are movng to your left as well as rising. The eroding mountains fill the valley at about the same rate as it sinks.


5 posted on 02/21/2012 10:01:32 PM PST by U-238
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To: SunkenCiv
Unfortunately, as frequently happens in science, a seemingly surreal problem ends up having a relatively mundane solution. It turns out that high winds after a rain can push even heavy rocks across a temporarily slick lakebed.

Don't have an answer, but I'm not buying that wind pushed a 660 pound rock.

6 posted on 02/21/2012 10:05:44 PM PST by umgud (No Rats, No Rino's)
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To: doc1019

Death Valley is mentioned in several prominent Astronomy Books. In fact NASA tested the Viking probes to Mars here.


7 posted on 02/21/2012 10:05:44 PM PST by U-238
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To: U-238

Still, what does this have to do with our daily Astronomy picture of the day. This should be presented in “Our Geology Picture of The Day”, not here.


8 posted on 02/21/2012 10:11:23 PM PST by doc1019 (Romney will never get my vote!)
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To: doc1019

NASA has also Death Valley on their Earth Observatory site,too


9 posted on 02/21/2012 10:20:34 PM PST by U-238
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Death Valley has similar geology to the Red Planet


10 posted on 02/21/2012 10:24:45 PM PST by U-238
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To: U-238

So, in my repartee of saved Astronomical pictures, I should consider this one as just another “astronomical phenomenon”?


11 posted on 02/21/2012 10:27:33 PM PST by doc1019 (Romney will never get my vote!)
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To: SunkenCiv

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1hoiHvOeGc


12 posted on 02/21/2012 10:29:01 PM PST by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
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To: doc1019

Death Valley is a important site on the planet and in Solar System.


13 posted on 02/21/2012 10:40:44 PM PST by U-238
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To: umgud

You do realize that it is “wind” that lifts a Boing 747-400 weighing 870,000 lbs (max takeoff wt) up into the air.

SO on an extremely “slick” (very low coefficient of friction) muddy surface, a very strong desert wind - which can easily exceed 100 mph - can generate enough horizontal force to break the rock free, and then, once it is moving, slide it these long distances.

Visualize a weatherman showing off in a hurricane, and being blown away down the road.

Weatherman - rock - basically the same thing... :-)

:-) to any weathermen, don’t be offended.


14 posted on 02/21/2012 11:06:56 PM PST by muffaletaman (ABOAR)
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To: muffaletaman

Not sold. BTW, a 747 has wings.


15 posted on 02/21/2012 11:11:20 PM PST by umgud (No Rats, No Rino's)
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To: umgud

Morelocks. That’s my guess.


16 posted on 02/21/2012 11:32:12 PM PST by Ken H (Austerity is the irresistible force. Entitlements are the immovable object.)
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To: umgud

“Don’t have an answer, but I’m not buying that wind pushed a 660 pound rock.”
Think of a beer being slid from on end of a bar to the other.


17 posted on 02/22/2012 12:21:29 AM PST by BigCinBigD
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To: SunkenCiv

I’ve read about this for years. I first came across it in a strange phenomenon book from the 60s or early 70s and this was given as one particularly plausible explanation. Its really neat, but nothing new regarding science.


18 posted on 02/22/2012 12:22:06 AM PST by lefty-lie-spy (Stay metal. For the Horde \m/("_")\m/ - via iPhone from Tokyo.)
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To: lefty-lie-spy
but nothing new regarding science.

You obviously do not understand Science.

What makes this different than all those decades old speculations is that this is prefaced by, "Scientist says...".

19 posted on 02/22/2012 12:35:37 AM PST by ApplegateRanch (If any of their "Alternatives" actually works, the Greenies will proceed to kill it.)
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To: umgud
Not sold. BTW, a 747 has wings.

But a truck or a van doesn't, and the wind can push on those hard enough to tip then over or push them off the road.

20 posted on 02/22/2012 12:55:13 AM PST by El Gato ("The second amendment is the reset button of the US constitution"-Doug McKay)
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