Moon 'Space Worm', tracks n' lights

Hi all,

Here is a snap from Google Earth that I found interesting when viewing the moon:



There are three main details of interest here:

Firstly at the top of the image you should see a cable like item. Does anyone know what this is and or even the size of this object?

On the bottom left of the image you will see long tracks - have these been artificially created? if so, are they as a result of moon vehicles?

On the bottom right you will see a bright object. There are many of these bright objects on the moon and they are unlike the crators we see everywhere else. What are they?

Lastly, why the hell are most official moon images in greyscale?

I hope the image will create an interesting discussion.

[edit on 12-10-2009 by Jinni]

[edit on 12-10-2009 by Jinni]

Interesting post!

Firstly this object seems very artificial and it almost looks like a shadow me something with a little altitude. As for the tracks, I have seen a few me these scattered across the moon surface. ..... not that I have ever been there lol. Based on the size of the hills/craters around the object I would estimate the size at around about the size of a football field.

And why is the moon always shown in greyscale? !?!

The "space worm" is very likely a image artifact (in fact I am pretty sure this has been discussed before, but I can't remember what thread at the moment, I will try and track it down.). The "tracks" on the Moon, well these anyways, are very likely either from rolling rocks or rilles:

Rille (German for 'groove') is typically used to describe any of the long, narrow depressions in the lunar surface that resemble channels. Typically a rille can be up to several kilometers wide and hundreds of kilometers in length. However, the term has also been used loosely to describe similar structures on a number of planets in the Solar System, including Mars, Venus, and on a number of moons. All bear remarkable structural resemblance to each other.

Different types of rilles:

Three types of rille are found on the lunar surface:

Sinuous rilles meander in a curved path like a mature river, and are commonly thought to be the remains of collapsed lava tubes or extinct lava flows. They usually begin at an extinct volcano, then meander and sometimes split as they are followed across the surface. Vallis Schröteri in Oceanus Procellarum is the largest sinuous rille.

Arcuate rilles have a smooth curve and are found on the edges of the dark lunar maria. They are believed to form when the lava flows that created a mare cool, contract, and sink. This are found all over the moon, examples can be seen near the south-western border of Mare Tranquillitatis and on the south-eastern border of Mare Humorum.

Straight rilles follow long, linear paths and are believed to be grabens, sections of the crust that have sunk between two parallel faults. These can be readily identified when they pass through craters or mountain ranges. Vallis Alpes is by far the largest graben rille, indeed it is regarded as too large to be called a rille and is itself bisected by a straight rille; Rupes Recta in Mare Nubium is a clearer example.

Rilles which show more than one structure are termed hybrid rilles. Rima Hyginus in Sinus Medii is an example, initially formed through a fault and subsequently subject to volcanic activity.

en.wikipedia.org...






[edit on 10/19/2009 by jkrog08]

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a moon worm!

Well the cable thing i have no idea... maybe its where the two pictures area being united via the program...

Moon sand, its like... rediculously reflective so i'm not suprised to see the light spots...

other than that i have no clue on anything else, defenitely an interesting piece.