NASA Spots Mysterious 'Spider' on Mercury

After checking this thread out I randomly saw this image. It shows an octopus that is hung out to dry. It reminded me of the thick extensions from the center of the spidering. It also has the rows of elevated mounds in between the tentacles. I know it doesn't really relate but I thought it was kinda cool.

Octopi hung out to dry

reply to post by RuneSpider


I think he was trying to be funny, maybe not, i dunno. I have hard time reading people around here lately.

Originally posted by earth2
Or maybe a impact crater that opened a hole in the crust and released lava.

Hmm, This assumes that Mercury has a molten mantle...
That seems doubtful becuase of its size and age... Earth is substantially larger and probably formed around the same time (?) , and it does not have a liquid mantle.

It has been theorized that Mercury may have a semi molten core similar to ours due to the detected weak magnetosphere. (Wiki..)
Still, though, It is not likely that an impact penetrated deep enough to allow molten lava from the near core to flow out.

Unless the energy of the impact itself created the lava...

Mercury Flyby here

The Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging probe - or MESSENGER - took 1,213 images

link

would like to get hold of these pictures
couple pictures here:

Originally posted by Bluess
Yup...its and electrical universe allright!

Not everything is related to the EU or PC theory. Over-attribution will turn people off.



Does that look like it was caused by a bolt of lightning (plasma) or a bullet (projectile)?

There is a possibility that it was plasma related, because Mercury is pretty close to that big ball of plasma we call the Sun, and also because Mercury apparently has a magnetosphere. Regardless, we shouldn't be jumping the gun and claiming everything is caused by plasma. People will stop taking the theory seriously then.

[edit on 31-1-2008 by Beachcoma]

Originally posted by greatpiino
To me, it looks like someone dropped a giant 'water' balloon filled with liquid metal that splattered then hardened. Yup, that's definitely what happened.

Yep a melted down comet that got pulled in. A big balls of dusty mud.....Bet you could replicate the effect with the right consistency of mud.

To me, the circles around the outside of the impact crater, look the way a windshield does when it's been smacked by something that didn't break it all the way... know what i mean? like this:

i read somewhere that mercury is dominantly iron. it looks like a splatter effect in forensics. a meteor hot or strong enough to melt iron? or the meteor melted on impact? or maybe ET survivors crawling away from a crash site...

Some of you guys out there are slipping. Is not one of you "smoking gun" anomaly hunters going to mention the obviously crashed Space Shuttle in the middle of the crater?

OMG Bowie was wrong! The Spiders are from Mercury, not Mars!



I think this is pretty cool, but I don't see anything that requires radical reorganizing of existing scientific knowledge to explain.

reply to post by undo


Well, I like the comparison except for the lack of concentric circles created by your windsheild comparison...

There seems to be only one main crater with radial fractures.

Why are none of the other craters we've seen on Mercury similar in the radial fractures?
It must have been something to do with the impactite.

Originally posted by Nohup
Some of you guys out there are slipping.

I was waiting for the conspiracy also.

Well, Nohup, it looks like since no one else wants the job you have to take it. Sorry.

Originally posted by Beachcoma

Originally posted by Bluess
Yup...its and electrical universe allright!

Not everything is related to the EU or PC theory. Over-attribution will turn people off.

Does that look like it was caused by a bolt of lightning (plasma) or a bullet (projectile)?

There is a possibility that it was plasma related, because Mercury is pretty close to that big ball of plasma we call the Sun, and also because Mercury apparently has a magnetosphere. Regardless, we shouldn't be jumping the gun and claiming everything is caused by plasma. People will stop taking the theory seriously then.

[edit on 31-1-2008 by Beachcoma]

First of all...I think you should revise my contribution of EU theory posts in this forum, before you accuse me off over contributing anything!

Second... a hole in a vindow doesnt quite satisfy my needs, for a planetarian phenomenon nor does it even relate to it!

The picture in the bulp, in my avatar, is an electrical phenomenon and it looks very similar to the OP crater pictures "formation, lines and dots"!

Frankly...a "teaser comment" is not overcontributing, nor making people not taking the EU theories seriously. There is only 1 response in this thread on my post, besides yours...and that was a positive one!

However, people comparing broken vindows, with crater formations on a planet, might be taken a bit unseriously!

Don't make yourself a judge trying to deside, who should be allowed to express their views, on connections to the EU theories, please.

Originally posted by xmotex
I don't see anything that requires radical reorganizing of existing scientific knowledge to explain.

I agree, but the idea is to get a better understanding of what combination of conditions between impactite and impact site that would cause the formation...

It is interesting because we (or at least I) haven't seen anything like it before in a crater.

And it looks cool, too.

Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mercury?
Hmm, now you are on to something controversial!!

Originally posted by defuntion
reply to post by LockwithnoKey

 

Yep. I agree.

The strangest thing about it are the cracks radiating around the impact crater.

I've never seen anything like it.

Well one... it doesn't look like an impact crater, at least to me... It is a rounded mound with a smaller central crater and the radiating lines are not cracks either...but mounded up off the surface as well.. Just a theory, but it looks to me like a volcano erupted... The lava tubes formed... and then the dust that was covering them blew away... Think back to grade school and elmers glue and glitter... Just a theory....

reply to post by Nohup


Why , so you can rush to the rescue and tell them that they are delluded or nuts ? I wonder what kind of contribution besides sarcasm can you offer because the only thing I see in most of your post is sacrastic remarks about anybody that says anything that is not right in your opinion ..

I have a great idea , this thread is actually going pretty well without any fights and such so my proposition is ... stfu and let this be a peacefull topic .

Originally posted by beastamerica
i read somewhere that mercury is dominantly iron. it looks like a splatter effect in forensics. a meteor hot or strong enough to melt iron? or the meteor melted on impact? or maybe ET survivors crawling away from a crash site...

Another good theory... Mercury should have a very volatile magma (according to mainstream information) and a very thin crust... A large meteor very well could have made that mark by simply breaking completely through the crust and sending (once again) lava out from the impact site, this would also account for the mound with a smaller crater in the center.

reply to post by bodhisattva


I don't think (if it was an impact, and not the volcanic formation from your other theory) that a meteor could penetrate deep enough to get to a molten layer.

Mercury is thought to have a core / semi-liquid outer core like Earth (based on the magnetoshpere). It is doubtful, in my opinion, that there is a liquid mantle underneath the Mercury crust.

You realize that Earth's mantle is not liquid, right?

I am not saying that Mercury should share the same geologic make-up as Earth, but it is probably just as old.

Your Volcanic theory is interesting, though. I'll look at the photo some more.

reply to post by defuntion


hmm i googled images of volcanic eruptionsaftermath and meteor craters. i'm leaning toward the latter, but, volcanic or magma seepage perhaps?

or else the octopus theory

Originally posted by beastamerica
or else the octopus theory

Well, the more I stare at that picture the less sure of what caused the formation I become, so at this point octopus theory looks pretty good.

The radial ridges appear to be mounds (protruding out of the ground) rather than cracks/fractures, and the center of the "impact" crater looks almost like a plateau (based on the way the sun light is hitting it from the direction of top-let).

Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me...

[edit on 31-1-2008 by defuntion]

[edit on 31-1-2008 by defuntion]