Astronomy Picture of the Day -- A Hole in Mars

NASA ^ | July 18, 2012 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: What created this unusual hole in Mars? The hole was discovered by chance 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.

[ETL]

Well, there's only one solution then: ban time travel ;)

"The Land That Time Forgot"

"Negotiating an underwater tunnel [beneath the ice] to gain the island's interior, those aboard U-33 are amazed to discover a tropical prehistoric world kept warm by volcanic forces. Here dinosaurs that should be long extinct live and roam, as do a curious race of humanoid savages that appear to exhibit all the various phases of Man's evolutionary development. To survive long enough to repair and replenish the U-boat, wartime enemies must put aside their differences and cooperate with one another. But not everyone is playing from the Kumbaya songbook...

The Land That Time Forgot is a thoroughly old fashioned sci-fi/fantasy adventure of the type they weren't really making anymore even in 1975. A lot of this has to do with the script sticking to Burroughs' Victorian style. (His Caprona tales were first published in 1918; as late as World War II he'd still be cranking out novels in the writing style of the 19th Century.) The film's a throwback to the likes of the original King Kong and potboilers such as Unknown Island (1948) and The Land Unknown (1957), only in color."
http://www.eccentric-cinema.com/cult_movies/land_time_forgot.htm

YouTube trailer: The Land That Time Forgot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beirEaMzV-s

[Oratam]

I got my eye on you.

[ETL]

Lava tube buried in the sand would be my guess.

Exactly what I was going to say. Once the lava passes through, it leaves behind a tunnel.

[ETL]

>>They are also good candidates for home bases,
>>if we ever do manned missions.

IF??

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2907872/posts?page=18#18

[ETL]

“The hole was discovered by chance on images of the dusty slopes of Mars’ Pavonis Mons volcano”

[Happy Rain]

No no no—BF is all about uranus—unless u are fast enough or a girl...

...the old queer probably regrets not attending Penn State.

[ETL]

>>No no no—BF is all about uranus

I posted the Barney Fruit pic in response to post 15:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2907872/posts?page=18#15

[Happy Rain]

Time travel means you can be taxed for the same income earned at any particular moment over and over...

...wanna bet the liberal techie Obamageeks aren't working on this “revenue enhancing” technology?

“ok, here's my taxes, ok here's my taxes,ok, here's my taxes, et cetera etcetera....”

[Dust in the Wind]

Wonder what the liquid is at the bottom of that sinkhole.

[Happy Rain]

Yeah, I saw that after I posted—I expected your response—if FR only had an “oops, retrieve” function;)

[ETL]

Wonder what the liquid is at the bottom of that sinkhole.

How do you know there's liquid there?

[SERE_DOC]

Bawney (I'd hit it)"Fwanks

Perhaps.....

[ETL]

It would be a nice project, but you’d have to oxygenate the hole, otherwise there will be no fire.

What substance on Mars would burn and catch fire? Gases?

[ETL]

Fwanks wants to know if uranus emits gases. Uranus is believed to be a gaseous planet.

[ETL]

[The Sons of Liberty]

"that’s the white side of Obama’s family passin a bit o wind"

Lord knows that the other end never quits spewing hot air and vitriol!

[Jonty30]

Until we have done a manned mission to Mars, it’s an if.

[Jonty30]

There could be pockets of methane or something on mars.

[Thrownatbirth]

These pits are therefore prime targets for possible future spacecraft, robots,

"Aw, crap! The Rover tipped over."

[NYer]

My first thought on looking at the Mars hole was ...

Or am I dating my self with an image from Star Wars?