Nexus - 0220 - New Times Magazine-pages

Page Content (OCR)

A Space Base on Mars? A blow-up of the unusual ‘installation' photographed on the Martian surface by Phobos 2. Note the ‘bays' similar to a modern airport, and other artificial-looking features. seemed to align in one or two chains. This was unusual, because crater chains on the moon are traditionally explained as volcanic pits—small eruption sites strung along fracture lines. Yet Phobos apparently is too small to generate heat and conventional volcanic activity. "Viking's high-resolution photos have revealed that the crater chains are real and part of an extensive system of parallel grooves, a few hundred yards wide. There may be a tendency for the grooves to lie parallel to the direction of the satellite's orbital motion, although there appear to be several swarms with some- what different orientations. Scientists are at a loss to explain them. Theories being discussed include: grooves left by much smaller satellite debris also orbiting Mars (though the grooves seem to follow contours of Phobos’ surface too closely for this to In an interesting article in the January 1977 issue of Astronomy, entitled “Chain Craters on Phobos”, the anonymous author dis- cusses the strange grooves and craters on Phobos: "Viking has discovered another mystery in the most unexpected place—on one of the two small Martian moons. Mariner 9's map- ping of both Phobos (12 x 14 x 17 miles, or 20 x 23 x 28 kilome- ters) and Deimos (6 x 7 x 10 miles, or 10 x 12 x 16 kilometers) showed many craters, and left most investigators with the impres- sion that they were merely rocky chunks that bore the scars of meteorite impacts. There was a puzzling feature on Phobos that a few analysts noticed but, without better data, could say little about. "At the limit of resolution were a few small crater pits that JUNE - JULY 1994 NEXUS¢39 ee EEE Ee | CHAIN CRATERS ON PHOBOS