Rare Hole in the Moon Photographed
June 26, 2010 3:14 PM   Subscribe

New photos of the moon have revealed the most detailed views yet of a rare hole in the lunar surface — a pit large enough to swallow an entire football field whole. "High-resolution cameras aboard the Japanese Kaguya spacecraft first spotted the irregularly shaped chasm, located in Mare Ingenii on the moon's southern hemisphere. Now, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has taken a new, up-close photo of the moon pit from lunar orbit."
posted by Fizz (47 comments total) 6 users marked this as a favorite
 
This should be on Space.xxx, not Space.com.
posted by chavenet at 3:18 PM on June 26, 2010 [13 favorites]


Does this prove that the moon is actually made of cheese...possibly swiss?
posted by Fizz at 3:19 PM on June 26, 2010


Maybe this is the explanation. From this 1902 film.
posted by chavenet at 3:23 PM on June 26, 2010 [1 favorite]


2010 a space odyssey
posted by Lanark at 3:27 PM on June 26, 2010


No photos yet of the revolting onion men dwelling within.
posted by griphus at 3:27 PM on June 26, 2010


The moon is an innie. My existence has become marginally more justified.
posted by dubusadus at 3:29 PM on June 26, 2010


Which will we see first: OM NOM NOM moon or Goatse moon?
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 3:37 PM on June 26, 2010


In related news: 7th-Graders Discover Mysterious Cave on Mars.
posted by ericb at 3:40 PM on June 26, 2010


This is no cave!
posted by gruchall at 3:42 PM on June 26, 2010 [5 favorites]


Looks like Guatemala...
posted by wierdo at 3:44 PM on June 26, 2010 [2 favorites]


Moonpit moonpit moonpit!
posted by jessamyn at 3:46 PM on June 26, 2010 [1 favorite]


Selenites!
posted by Artw at 3:46 PM on June 26, 2010


Hello up there?
posted by not_on_display at 3:54 PM on June 26, 2010


Looks malignant to me; sorry moon.
posted by rongorongo at 4:19 PM on June 26, 2010


It looks like the terrain around the hole is sloped downward towards it, and I bet there's a lot of crumbly rock on the edge there, ready to give way. Even in sixteen percent gravity that would still be a dangerous area to explore. It would be really easy to lose your balance, or maybe the ground would give way beneath you, then it'd be a slow motion fall onto all those sharp rocks and boulders below.
posted by Kevin Street at 4:23 PM on June 26, 2010


This is obviously from when Obama bombed the moon in a mad attempt to destroy it.
posted by Astro Zombie at 4:23 PM on June 26, 2010 [3 favorites]


Is this perhaps from the BOMB that we sent up there a while back?

Oh, sorry Astro, you are definitely the expert here!
posted by SLC Mom at 4:28 PM on June 26, 2010


In other news, NASA's Football Field Lander Project has been suspended indefinitely, for fear of the risk of complete lunar swallowment. Researchers are still continuing with the Ballpark Probe although there is growing concern that the device could present a choking hazard.
posted by eykal at 4:31 PM on June 26, 2010 [4 favorites]


You can put your weed in there.
posted by bondcliff at 4:32 PM on June 26, 2010 [7 favorites]


Cool, I had no idea we had space slugs in our solar system.
posted by homunculus at 4:33 PM on June 26, 2010 [1 favorite]


There is no moon cabal.
posted by localhuman at 4:34 PM on June 26, 2010


That cave is probably full of mynocks.
posted by Daddy-O at 4:37 PM on June 26, 2010


Funny how Tom Hanks didn't mention any "hole" when Apollo 13 landed on the moon.
posted by panboi at 4:38 PM on June 26, 2010 [1 favorite]


Any shiny black monoliths turn-up yet, or do we still have to dig for them?
posted by ZenMasterThis at 4:41 PM on June 26, 2010


This is no cave!

Cool, I had no idea we had space slugs in our solar system.

That cave is probably full of mynocks.


...aaaand done.
posted by griphus at 4:41 PM on June 26, 2010


Mark my words; if the monolith is anywhere, it's in that hole.
posted by i_have_a_computer at 4:44 PM on June 26, 2010


I learned in summer camp that all moons have a hole.
posted by jeremy b at 4:47 PM on June 26, 2010 [1 favorite]


Any shiny black monoliths turn-up yet, or do we still have to dig for them?

See, due to a problem I always have viewing these sorts of images, that looks like a massive black monolith rising from the moon to me. My brain can't be convinced that the light isn't coming from the left!
posted by Jimbob at 4:51 PM on June 26, 2010


In other news, NASA's Football Field Lander Project has been suspended indefinitely, for fear of the risk of complete lunar swallowment. Researchers are still continuing with the Ballpark Probe although there is growing concern that the device could present a choking hazard.

In a related story, Belgium has abandoned their space program entirely.
posted by brundlefly at 4:56 PM on June 26, 2010




Of all the conspiracy theories I've heard, my favorite—in part because of how many people apparently believe it—is that for decades, the US and aliens have been running a secret mining operation on the moon. These photos are unlikely to dispel that theory. So I like them.
posted by cribcage at 5:34 PM on June 26, 2010


Mining for what, cribcage?
posted by brundlefly at 5:53 PM on June 26, 2010


HYDROGEN 4 AND SPACE GOLD SHEEPLE
posted by cmoj at 6:26 PM on June 26, 2010 [1 favorite]


"Mining for what" barely begins to scratch the surface. (So to speak.)
posted by cribcage at 6:42 PM on June 26, 2010


Drill baby drill.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:51 PM on June 26, 2010 [1 favorite]


I don't really understand why this sort of thing is news. I mean, we're a planet; we've got one of those. They're a planet, why wouldn't they?

Surely it would be vastly more unexpected if the moon were in fact a perfect, unblemished sphere. No?
posted by DarlingBri at 7:12 PM on June 26, 2010


if the moon were in fact a perfect, unblemished sphere. No?

The moon is in fact a perfect, unblemished sphere...
YES!
The truth 'bout its surface is a LIE, told by who...?
GUESS!
The government wants you to think there's a HOLE!
They're doing experiments at the north POLE!
The moon is in fact an unblemished sphere!
YES!
YES!
YES!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:24 PM on June 26, 2010


I suggest it be named "The Pit of Dispair".
posted by spock at 7:52 PM on June 26, 2010 [2 favorites]


So this is where they will be playing that three teams soccer game?
posted by cjorgensen at 7:58 PM on June 26, 2010


Earth's holes are prettier.
posted by msbutah at 8:17 PM on June 26, 2010


It's a trap!!
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:56 PM on June 26, 2010 [1 favorite]


Tetsuo!
posted by seanmpuckett at 7:13 AM on June 27, 2010


Selenites!
posted by Artw at 3:46 PM on June 26 [+] [!]


Mooninites!
posted by kcds at 7:13 AM on June 27, 2010


The people of Boston must be alerted! LED attack may be imminent! Return to your homes!
posted by Artw at 10:24 AM on June 27, 2010


A whole football field?! Amazing.
posted by rhizome at 11:18 AM on June 27, 2010


Are the dimensions 1x4x9?
posted by bach at 7:55 PM on June 27, 2010


Lunar acne.
posted by bwg at 11:51 PM on July 5, 2010


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