Nyrath Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/05/03/mercury-hides-a-monster-impact/ "How the heck do you hide a terrifyingly huge impact basin easily big enough to stretch from San Francisco to Los Angeles?" "Easy. Put it on Mercury." What caused this impact crater? An ancient alien battlecruiser colliding with Mercury? (and is it still there, buried under the surface, just waiting for some adventurers to stumble on the entrance?) How about the asteroid-cell of some imprisoned Cthulhu-like eldar space god? (and is it still there, buried under the surface, just waiting for some foolhardy adventurers to fail to decipher the "DO NOT OPEN!" alien inscription on the door?) What if it was just an asteroid colliding with Mercury, which is the only known way of creating large deposits of priceless Unobtanium ore? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clonus Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 Re: Mercury hides a monster impact It's a thumbprint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 Re: Mercury hides a monster impact God missed the corner pocket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 Re: Mercury hides a monster impact I'm going with L. Marcus's suggestion. Something falling into the Sun from infinity would hit Mercury at roughly 68 km/s if the latter blundered into the way. Make whatever it was about a hundred km across, and that'll make a nice continental-size hole and depress the cr*p out of local property values. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilDrPuma Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 Re: Mercury hides a monster impact That was me. One too many bean burritos. Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundog Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 Re: Mercury hides a monster impact C-fractional strike on enemy base: successful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Mackinder Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 Re: Mercury hides a monster impact Interesting. Must have been quite a wallop when it hit - I wonder if it had anything to do with the unusual rotation that Mercury now has? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundog Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 Re: Mercury hides a monster impact Yes, it does. The mass imbalance caused by the crater makes it tidally stable at a 2:3 revolution to rotation rate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted May 7, 2009 Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 Re: Mercury hides a monster impact Fascinating. Thanx for the post, Nyrath! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyrath Posted May 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 Re: Mercury hides a monster impact Fascinating. Thanx for the post' date=' Nyrath![/quote'] You're welcome! This Just in: Mercury More Exciting Than Mars http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/04/messengermercury/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.