Martian Obelisk

The data with the image says the sun angle is 21 degrees, which is quite low. This would cause a shadow to be a bit more than twice as long as the height of the object casting it. If the shadow is ~ 50 feet long, the object would be around 20 plus feet high. For an object ~13 feet wide that doesn't seem a very remarkable height. I think we can assume that the 'cliffs' to the left of the object are of no great height, otherwise they would have completely blocked the object from the Sun, given its low angle in the sky. Ross

it could be just a simple rock

Looks like a big rock to me.

Originally posted by Rexxar
it could be just a simple rock

Originally posted by Cyberspy
Looks like a big rock to me.

Really?

Prove it



Mars Monolith - Buzz Aldrin Confirms Phobos Structure

reply to post by zorgon

The object in the image that the OP posted looks like a rock.

Where does the image you posted come from? Could be an aerial view of someone's backyard for all I know.

Square rocks aren't that uncommon.

Buzz is getting up there in age.

If you pull out to about 250km, you will see in the lower left a crater that a little over half appears to have been washed away by a river. If you back out about 500km, you can see what appears to be a riverbed. You can't tell me that there is not or never has been liquid on Mars. There is no telling what we will find when we get there, but it will be interesting to see what is there. I wish we could measure the height of the object in question more accurately.

Originally posted by MBF
I wish we could measure the height of the object in question more accurately.

Simple really...

1) get the pixel resolution of the image
2) measure the length of the shadow in pixels
3) calculate the angle of the sunlight

There ya go... have fun

reply to post by Cyberspy


It's on phobos, a martian moon...or spaceship...haha

This is a natural feature, NASA might say Basalt, but I think Limestone, Mars use to be a lot like Planet Earth, until Massive Destruction of the Oxygen in the atmosphere split the Hydrogen from the air because of the excess methane cause by a natural orbital cycle that brings mars both closer and further from the sun. Also, I think our suns habitable zone is expanding, and we are supposedly scheduled to endure the same fate as Venus. I find it strange that Earth got skipped over in all of this, though, almost like earth doesn't belong in our solar system, but how is that so?

ITS A ROCK

haha,seriously...nice find...it does looks tall...i still bet on it as beeing natural ^^

reply to post by zorgon

That's my favourite monolith. I like how it looks like the ground around it has been disturbed, as if the object was pushed or forced into the ground.

Originally posted by Cyberspy
The object in the image that the OP posted looks like a rock.

That is not proof merely your opinion

Where does the image you posted come from? Could be an aerial view of someone's backyard for all I know.

It comes from Mars... just google Mars monolith. Surely you are competent enough for that. But it seems to me it wouldn't change things for you anyway

Buzz is getting up there in age.

Which implies what?

People like you just spew out remarks as if you know everything. Even if that 'monolith' is a rock... does not make it uninteresting. At least Buzz can still muster some excitement over strange objects on a distant world.

BTW 'monolith' simply means "a single massive stone or rock" so whether carves by man, alien or nature... does not mean it's not worth studying..

Originally posted by leira7
This is a natural feature, NASA might say Basalt, but I think Limestone, Mars use to be a lot like Planet Earth, until Massive Destruction of the Oxygen in the atmosphere split the Hydrogen from the air because of the excess methane cause by a natural orbital cycle that brings mars both closer and further from the sun. Also, I think our suns habitable zone is expanding, and we are supposedly scheduled to endure the same fate as Venus. I find it strange that Earth got skipped over in all of this, though, almost like earth doesn't belong in our solar system, but how is that so?

Could I get that translated please?

Good grief

reply to post by zorgon


He said the monolith is there because of the oxygen on earth because of mars because of the natural cycle of venus.

Its definitely not an "Obelisk". If you look at the shadow you'll see that its an elongated oval, meaning that the object is rounded on both the top and bottom, like a boulder. Judging by the length of the shadow being produced by the ridge, you could cut the height of the object in half to get a near accurate measurement.
In short, we're likely looking at a big round rock at the bottom of a ridge. Nothing as odd as say, a face or building-like structure, and more than likely not manmade.

Everybody stole my thunder. It's still a very good image, and that whole region has amazing formations. It definitely looks like a...whatever geologists call it when a deep river gets wide and shallow.

Great find!

The best is all ATS Member write an mail to google... with the headline "Please apply Street View on Google Mars" Thank you!..

Originally posted by zorgon
People like you just spew out remarks as if you know everything.

People like me? What does that mean? I may not know everything. But I do know a rock when I see one.

BTW, the thread is titled "Martian Obelisk". Webster's defines an obelisk as "an upright 4-sided usually monolithic pillar that gradually tapers as it rises and terminates in a pyramid". I don't see anything like that in the photo the OP posted.

Awesome picture!!!! My issue though is the shadow. It appears the object is narrower at the bottom than at the top. So, if that is wind erosion, it's strikes me as strange considering the placement of the rock/monolith behind the dune/hill. If the elements have eroded the hill, as was stated earlier, but left a monolith like it has is very peculiar. Erosion always takes the lighter less dense materials first. I find it strange that this structure, which had to be different than the surrounding rock, is shaped like it is. A very defined geometric object that somehow formed in the middle of less dense rock and because of erosion we see it now. What i am getting at is, it seems to be artificially placed there and not a natural formation. Just my opinion though, great find!!!

or it might be that the monolith is the last remains of the surrounding rock and will erode in due time....