NASA's LRO mission gets a sunrise view of Tycho crater's peak

LRO mission provides detailed look at famous Tycho crater

2011-07-01

(Press-News.org) On June 10, 2011, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft pointed the LRO Camera NACs to capture a dramatic sunrise view of Tycho crater.

A very popular target with amateur astronomers, Tycho is located at 43.37°S, 348.68°E, and is about 51 miles (82 km) in diameter. The summit of the central peak is 1.24 miles (2 km) above the crater floor. The distance from Tycho's floor to its rim is about 2.92 miles (4.7 km).

Many rock fragments ("clasts") ranging in size from some 33 feet (10 m) to hundreds of yards are exposed in the central peak slopes. Were these distinctive outcrops formed as a result of crushing and deformation of the target rock as the peak grew? Or do they represent preexisting rock layers that were brought intact to the surface?

Tycho's features are so steep and sharp because the crater is only about 110 million years old -- young by lunar standards. Over time micrometeorites and not-so-micro meteorites, will grind and erode these steep slopes into smooth mountains. For a preview of Tycho's central peak may appear like in a few billion years, look at Bhabha crater.

On May 27, 2010, LRO captured a top-down view of the summit (below), including the large boulder seen in the above image. Also note the fractured impact melt deposit that surrounds the boulder. And the smooth area on top of the boulder, is that also frozen impact melt? These images from the LRO Camera clearly show that the central peak formed very quickly: The peak was there when impact melt that was thrown straight up during the impact came back down, creating mountains almost instantaneously. Or did the melt get there by a different mechanism? The fractures probably formed over time as the steep walls of the central peak slowly eroded and slipped downhill. Eventually the peak will erode back, and this massive boulder will slide such that the big boulder will meet its demise as it slides 1.24 miles (2 km) to the crater floor.

INFORMATION:

FOR ALL IMAGES: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/lro-tycho.html

[Attachments] See images for this press release:

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Confused.com Designs New Pothole Warning Sign

2011-07-01

Confused.com has designed a new road sign, specifically to alert road users to the UK's two million potholes*. The road sign is the first of its kind and the car insurance expert is petitioning to urge the Department for Transport to introduce it to roads across the UK. A constant source of frustration for drivers, the sign has been developed in response to recent findings that even with sufficient budgets; it would take councils at least 11 years to repair the UK's damaged roads**. With this in mind, 82% of drivers would like to see a road sign dedicated to potholes. ...

Study uncovers novel genetic variation linked to increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest

2011-07-01

LOS ANGELES – June 30, 2011 – A study by a global consortium of physician-scientists has identified a genetic variation that may predispose people to double the risk of having a sudden cardiac arrest, a disorder that gives little warning and is fatal in about 95 percent of cases. Although previous, smaller studies have identified some genes with a potential association with sudden cardiac arrest, this is the first study large enough to enable scientists to apply results to the general population. Findings are published today by the Public Library of Science (PloS Genetics). "We ...

Georgetown research identifies key reasons racial disparities exist in emergent stroke treatment

2011-07-01

Washington, DC – African-Americans are less likely than whites to receive critical stroke treatment primarily because they do not get to a hospital soon enough for time-sensitive treatment and because of preexisting medical conditions. For patients who are eligible for treatment, no racial disparity was found. Those are the findings of a new Georgetown University Medical Center study involving the review of almost 1,000 patient records from all seven acute care hospitals in Washington, DC. The new study will be published in the June 30th issue of American Stroke Association's ...

Happy Employees Need a Voice Says Reed.co.uk

2011-07-01

Whilst pay, perks and a pleasant working environment all score highly, being kept in the loop with high levels of communication is the single most important factor in keeping UK workers content within their jobs. The survey conducted by reed.co.uk, which polled more than 2,500 UK workers, revealed that strong communication (87% of respondents), opportunities for career advancement (86%) and job security (85%) are amongst the most important factors contributing to staff happiness, whilst training (81%) and recognition of a job well done (77%) also influence job satisfaction. ...

Women win out in gastrointestinal surgery

2011-07-01

In the first study to consider the impact of gender on patient outcomes in major gastrointestinal surgeries, researchers at UC San Diego Health System have found that women are more likely to survive after the procedure than men. The pattern is even more pronounced when comparing women before menopause with men of the same age. Results, now published online in the Journal of Surgical Research in a paper titled "The Battle of the Sexes: Women Win Out in Gastrointestinal Surgery," shed light on major differences between patients which impact treatment success, and open ...

Assessing agroforestry's advantages

2011-07-01

MADISON, WI, JUNE 30, 2011 -- Agroforestry, the deliberate placement of trees into crop and livestock operations, can help capture substantial amounts of carbon on agricultural lands while providing production and conservation benefits. However, we currently lack tools for accurately estimating current and projected carbon values in these systems. In North America, windbreaks are an effective carbon-capturing option. Only occupying about 2 to 5% of the land, windbreaks also help protect crops and livestock, as well as reduce wind erosion. They provide a means to increase ...

Account Ability Offers Free W2 & 1099 Reporting Capability to Software Developers!

2011-07-01

IDMS Account Ability has launched a Wage and Information Reporting Data Module ("AADM") that is free to all software developers. AADM merges data extracts from any authored application with Account Ability's library of government approved information returns and annual wage reports. AADM supports the entire family of Information Returns (1097-BTC, 1098, 1098-C, 1098-E, 1098-T, 1099-A, 1099-B, 1099-C, 1099-CAP, 1099-DIV, 1099-G, 1099-H, 1099-INT, 1099-K, 1099-LTC, 1099-MISC, 1099-OID, 1099-PATR, 1099-Q, 1099-R, 1099-S, 1099-SA, 3921, 3922, 5498, 5498-ESA, 5498-SA, ...

Foot positioning during walking and running may influence ankle sprains

2011-07-01

The position of the foot just before ground contact during running and walking may put people at risk for ankle sprains, according to a new study published by a University of Georgia kinesiology researcher. The results of the study, which appear in the June online edition of the American Journal of Sports Medicine, found that people who have a history of repetitive ankle sprains demonstrated lower clearance heights between their feet and the floor during running and pointed their toes down more during walking. Ankle sprains are the most common sports-related injury, and ...

Preventing diabetes damage: Zinc's effects on a kinky, two-faced cohort

2011-07-01

ANN ARBOR, Mich.---In type 2 diabetes, a protein called amylin forms dense clumps that shut down insulin-producing cells, wreaking havoc on the control of blood sugar. But zinc has a knack for preventing amylin from misbehaving. Recent research at the University of Michigan offers new details about how zinc performs this "security guard" function. The findings appear in the July 8 issue of the Journal of Molecular Biology. Amylin is something of a two-faced character. In healthy people who have normal levels of zinc in the insulin-producing islet cells of the pancreas, ...

Nuclear waste requires cradle-to-grave strategy

2011-07-01

Los Angeles, CA (July 1, 2011) – After Fukushima, it is now imperative to redefine what makes a successful nuclear power program - from cradle to grave. If nuclear waste management is not thought out from the beginning, the public in many countries will reject nuclear power as an energy choice, according to research that appears today in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, published by SAGE. According to Allison Macfarlane, associate professor of environmental science and policy at George Mason University, and a member of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear ...

Scientists uncover the first clear evidence of air sacs in the fossilized bones of alvarezsaurian dinosaurs: the "hollow bones" which help modern day birds to fly

Alcohol makes male flies sexy

TB patients globally often incur "catastrophic costs" of up to $11,329 USD, despite many countries offering free treatment, with predominant drivers of cost being hospitalization and loss of income

NASA's LRO mission gets a sunrise view of Tycho crater's peak

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: