Lunar Anomalies - Unusual Features at Paracelsus, Aristarchus and Ryder Crater

a reply to: ArMaP

Thanks for posting these, the last image is really quite interesting. I've been playing around a bit with a slightly enlarged version and inverted colors (negative), which may or may not provide a better sense for the structural composition of the slabs:



And here goes some more information that wasn't included in the OP:
Description of location: Paracelsus C (southern part of crater floor)
Coordinates: Lat -21.6481, Lon 165.2127

The features can easily be located via the coordinates using the LROC quickmap viewer which also features options to blend between different images of the area acquired by LROC.

originally posted by: jeep3r
a reply to: ArMaP
The features can easily be located via the coordinates using the LROC quickmap viewer which also features options to blend between different images of the area acquired by LROC.

In the quickmap, where does one enter the coordinates?

I find it somewhat easier to use the WMS map: wms.lroc.asu.edu...

Here are all the images with colours "stretched".

(right click and choose "open image in new tab" or equivalent to see the images in full size)

M1207284757LC


M1207277724LC


M1168450258LC


M1115441699LC


M1153132512RC


M118769870LC

originally posted by: wildespace

In the quickmap, where does one enter the coordinates?
I find it somewhat easier to use the WMS map: wms.lroc.asu.edu...

Good question and it does require some explaining although it's still fairly easy to find.

Go to LROC Quickmap, click on manage layers (the icon with the three layers) and in the menu on the left that says "Lunar Layers", you have to click on the small globe icon on the right. Change the map projection to "Equidistant Cylind."

Now zoom in (close to max) on the surface using the mouse-wheel or the zoom level controller ("+/-") on the top left. Then left-click on the coordinates in the lower right corner of the screen and enter the coordinates in the entry field that pops up and enter Lat: -21.6481 and Lon: 165.2127. Hit return and Quickmap will take you there.

For illustration purposes, also see image below (click thumbnail for larger version):


Alternatively, you can use this link which should take you directly to that area.

a reply to: ArMaP
Thanks for posting those (although some of the images are mirrored or flipped with respect to the true orientation).

What would be really cool is a gif that cycles through these images (making sure they are registered first), arranged by the sun angle. That would help determining the shape of these objects and their relationship to the terrain.

P.S. examining your images, I noted that the first two make up a nice stereo view:

Flip gif


Red-green anaglyph


"Flip Book" animation, arranged by the sun angle:


Definitely looks like rocks, with sloped and craggy sides, and sloped and craggy tops.

Someone who can create 3D models from stereo images could probably create are really nice 3D model of this (or at least better than the one by Carlotto). By the way, his talk about the "tunnel in-between two wall" sound like too much imagination. In my gifs posted here, you can see that it's just a long dent along a sloping wall of the object. The object itself appear more triangular than rectangular in cross-section.

originally posted by: wildespace
P.S. examining your images, I noted that the first two make up a nice stereo view:

I noticed that yesterday, but I didn't have the time to make the stereo views, thanks for doing it.

a reply to: wildespace

that center one looks very odd to me like an cube

a reply to: wildespace

That is a reasonable reply. Thank you for your patience, Wilde.