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Astronomy Picture of the Day - Stickney Crater
NASA ^ | 8 Jul, 2023 | Image Credit: HiRISE, MRO, LPL (U. Arizona), NASA

Posted on 07/08/2023 2:20:47 PM PDT by MtnClimber

Explanation: Stickney Crater, the largest crater on the martian moon Phobos, is named for Chloe Angeline Stickney Hall, mathematician and wife of astronomer Asaph Hall. Asaph Hall discovered both the Red Planet's moons in 1877. Over 9 kilometers across, Stickney is nearly half the diameter of Phobos itself, so large that the impact that blasted out the crater likely came close to shattering the tiny moon. This enhanced-color image of Stickney and surroundings was recorded by the HiRISE camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter as it passed within some six thousand kilometers of Phobos in March of 2008. Even though the surface gravity of asteroid-like Phobos is less than 1/1000th Earth's gravity, streaks suggest loose material slid down inside the crater walls over time. Light bluish regions near the crater's rim could indicate a relatively freshly exposed surface. The origin of the curious grooves along the surface is mysterious but may be related to tidal stresses experienced by close-orbiting Phobos or the crater-forming impact itself.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: nasa
To be added or removed from the Astronomy Picture of the Day ping list please send me a request via "Private Reply" (Mail).

For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

1 posted on 07/08/2023 2:20:47 PM PDT by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

2 posted on 07/08/2023 2:21:07 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; abb; AFB-XYZ; AFPhys; Agatsu77; America_Right; ...
Pinging the APOD list.

πŸͺ 🌟 🌌 πŸ”


3 posted on 07/08/2023 2:21:53 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

Is it really that shiny?


4 posted on 07/08/2023 2:34:27 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire, or both.)
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To: MtnClimber

Pretty cool.


5 posted on 07/08/2023 2:46:58 PM PDT by No name given (Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
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To: MtnClimber

Looks like someone lost a finger while holding it.


6 posted on 07/08/2023 2:53:20 PM PDT by A Navy Vet (USA Birth Certificate - 1787. Death Certificate - 2021? )
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To: MtnClimber

Someday maybe someone will send a probe to investigate both of Mars’ moons.
It would be interesting to learn more about their composition, maybe that would even give an idea into their origins.


7 posted on 07/08/2023 3:58:38 PM PDT by telescope115 (I NEED MY SPACE!!! πŸ”­)
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To: MtnClimber

That is a weapons port.


8 posted on 07/09/2023 12:13:10 AM PDT by minnesota_bound (Need more money to buy everything now)
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To: MtnClimber
.........That's no moon...............
9 posted on 07/10/2023 5:08:06 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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