Jump to content

Galle (Martian crater)

Coordinates:51°12′S30°54′W/ 51.2°S 30.9°W/-51.2; -30.9
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused withGale (Martian crater).
This article is about the crater on Mars. For the lunar crater, seeGalle (lunar crater).
Galle
Photographed by theMars Global Surveyor,1999-03-10
PlanetMars
Coordinates51°12′S30°54′W/ 51.2°S 30.9°W/-51.2; -30.9
QuadrangleArgyre
Diameter230.0 km
EponymJohann Gottfried Galle

Galleis acrateronMars.It is located on the eastern rim of the hugeimpact basinArgyre PlanitiainArgyre quadrangle.It is named after the GermanastronomerJohann Gottfried Galle.[1]Galle is often known as the "happy face crater"becausepareidoliacauses a curvedmountain rangein the southern part of the crater and two smaller mountain clusters further north to appear to be asmiley face.The formation was first photographed byViking Orbiter 1.

A second "happy face crater", smaller than Galle and located at 45.1°S, 55.0°W inNereidum Montes,was discovered by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on January 28, 2008.[2]

Appearance inWatchmen[edit]

As the smiley is a keymotifin thecomic bookWatchmenbyAlan MooreandDave Gibbons,the crater was used as a story location after the coincidence was noted by Gibbons. According to Gibbons, the similarity "was almost too good to be true. I worried that if we put it in, people would never believe it."[3]The crater also appears in the same scene during thefilm adaptation.

Gallery[edit]

  • Viking Orbiter 1 mosaic
    Viking Orbiter 1mosaic
  • Another Viking 1 mosaic
    Another Viking 1 mosaic
  • East side of Galle crater, as seen by CTX camera (on MRO).
    East side of Galle crater, as seen by CTX camera (onMRO).
  • Gullies on mounds and dunes in Galle crater, as seen by CTX camera. Note this is an enlargement of previous photo.
    Gullies on mounds and dunes in Galle crater, as seen by CTX camera. Note this is an enlargement of previous photo.
  • Layered deposit in Galle crater, as seen by CTX camera. Note: this is an enlargement of a previous image.
    Layered deposit in Galle crater, as seen by CTX camera. Note: this is an enlargement of a previous image.
  • Old glacial flows and gullies on eastern side of Galle crater, as seen by CTX camera. Note: this is an enlargement of the previous photo.
    Old glacial flows and gullies on eastern side of Galle crater, as seen by CTX camera. Note: this is an enlargement of the previous photo.
  • Dunes and dust devil tracks in Galle crater, as seen by CTX camera.
    Dunes anddust devil tracksin Galle crater, as seen by CTX camera.
  • Part of Galle crater, as seen by CTX camera. The right "eye" and "mouth" are labeled. One of two dune fields are labeled as well.
    Part of Galle crater, as seen by CTX camera. The right "eye" and "mouth" are labeled. One of two dune fields are labeled as well.
  • Wide view of area around Galle crater. Colors show elevations.
    Wide view of area around Galle crater. Colors show elevations.
  • Region around Galle crater. Colors show elevations.
    Region around Galle crater. Colors show elevations.
  • Galle crater. Colors show elevations. Arrow indicates a layered mound that is enlarged in other images to follow.
    Galle crater. Colors show elevations. Arrow indicates a layered mound that is enlarged in other images to follow.
  • Wide CTX view of part of layered mound. Parts of this mound are enlarged in HiRISE images that follow.
    Wide CTX view of part of layered mound. Parts of this mound are enlarged in HiRISE images that follow.
  • HiRISE image from area in previous image. Picture taken under HiWish program.
    HiRISE image from area in previous image. Picture taken under HiWish program.
  • Layers in mound in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
    Layers in mound in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
  • Layers in mound in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
    Layers in mound in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
  • Layers in mound in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
    Layers in mound in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
  • Layers breaking up into boulders in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
    Layers breaking up into boulders in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
  • Layers and gullies in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
    Layers and gullies in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
  • Close view of layers in mound in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
    Close view of layers in mound in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
  • Layered mesa in mound in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
    Layered mesa in mound in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
  • Layers and polygons in mound in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
    Layers and polygons in mound in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
  • Close view of layers in mound in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
    Close view of layers in mound in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Galle".Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature.USGS Astrogeology Research Program.
  2. ^Have a happy day on MarsArchived2010-04-21 at theWayback Machine,The Planetary SocietyBlog, Feb. 1, 2008
  3. ^Web Behrens (February 27, 2009)."'Watchmen': Your guide to watching the big screen adaptation of the comic book ".Chicago Tribune.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toGalle (Martian crater).
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Galle_(Martian_crater)&oldid=1199102608"