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The "Man In the Moon" Was Created By Mega Volcano

Posted by samzenpus on from the he-went-by-the-south-and-burnt-his-mouth dept.

astroengine writes Whenever you look up at the near side of the moon, you see a face looking back at you. This is the "Man in the Moon" and it has inspired many questions about how it could have formed. There has been some debate as to how this vast feature — called Oceanus Procellarum, which measures around 1,800 miles wide — was created. But after using gravity data from NASA's twin GRAIL spacecraft, researchers have found compelling evidence that it was formed in the wake of a mega volcanic eruption and not the location of a massive asteroid strike.

33 comments

  1. On the bright side... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

    It's a mega volcano and not a quasi volcano.

  2. So... by Dr.+Sheldon+Cooper · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Mega-man" in the moon?

    --
    Bazinga.
  3. hmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    There are large (ginormous) polygonal impact craters scattered throughout the inner Solar System. While this is interesting data, it doesn't preclude a pre-Terminal Lunar Cataclysm impact in the area of Procellarum. The entire basin lies kilometers below the average lunar surface, while the lunar farside highlands are 60 km higher than the average terrain. There is good reason to believe the farside lunar highlands are the debris (distal ejecta) from the impact that (may have) created Procellarum.

    Also, I look forward to seeing similar data gathered for Borealis Basin on Mars for comparisons sake.

    1. Re:hmm by bhcompy · · Score: 1

      I thought the speculation for the difference in nearside and farside elevation was heavily favoring tidal influences?

    2. Re: hmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The elevation difference, just as on Mars, is due to electrical machining.

  4. Help by Falos · · Score: 2

    Spent the last five minutes poring over the image, can't find a face, maybe some misshapen cartoon ones or a set of Mickey Mouse circles if I squint a lot, what am I doing wrong?

    1. Re:Help by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It only works if you're looking at it from Earth, when it's kind of small in the sky. It's kind of creepy, kind of like a killer clown face.

    2. Re:Help by Meshach · · Score: 4, Informative

      WIkipedia has an article where they trace it out: Man in the Moon

      Not the clearest picture ever but you can see what they are talking about.

      --
      "Maybe this world is another planet's hell"
      Aldous Huxley
    3. Re:Help by Fwipp · · Score: 2

      Bottom left one, here:
      https://sathyasaibaba.files.wo...

    4. Re:Help by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      I spent much of my childhood seeing the rabbit in the moon. Then my family moved to the US where people kept referring to the man in the moon. I didn't see it. I could never see it. Many, many years later, it occurred to me to look at the light part of the moon and not the shadow. Then I could sort of make out a profile of a face.

      The rabbit is a lot more obvious.

    5. Re:Help by radtea · · Score: 1

      Maybe you're just from somewhere other than Europe, where a rabbit in the moon is the more common image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M...

      --
      Blasphemy is a human right. Blasphemophobia kills.
  5. man in the moon? by OglinTatas · · Score: 1

    I thought it was a rabbit

    --
    More music, fewer hits
  6. Incorrect by Zedrick · · Score: 1

    The Man in the Moon was created by The Mighty Boosh:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfw59kxDh98/

    1. Re:Incorrect by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Man in the Moon was created by The Mighty Boosh:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfw59kxDh98/

      So it's "BOOOSH'S FAULT!!!"???

      Damn Obama supporters even blame the Man in the Moon on Bush now.

      Everyone knows it was LBJ.

  7. Mega? by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 1

    Mega volcano?

    Does TFA mean a big volcano or a million volcanos?

    --
    I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
  8. as opposed by raymorris · · Score: 0

    TFS starts by saying "Whenever you look up at the near side of the moon you see a man"

    As opposed to when you look up at the far side of the moon and see a vagina?

  9. Real question here... by wbr1 · · Score: 1

    I have never seen the 'man' in the moon. What particular features make it look like a man or a face? I cannot discern them. Do others have this issue?

    --
    Silence is a state of mime.
    1. Re:Real question here... by CrimsonAvenger · · Score: 1

      I never had a problem seeing the Man in the Moon untll I was told that Asians see the markings on the Moon as a rabbit.

      Since then, I only see the Rabbit in the Moon....

      --

      "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
  10. Man in moon? by WolphFang · · Score: 1

    Man in moon? I have never easily seen an "man in the moon" ... now a "Rabbit in the Moon" I see all the time ...

    --
    leather-dog muksihs
    Blog: @muksihs
  11. rodent by Blaskowicz · · Score: 1

    I thought it was Muad' Dib.

    Actually, nothing in my culture said something about an animal, person or face on the moon. I was indirectly, non explicitly exposed to the "rabbit" with the Sailor Moon anime and the famous Frank Herbert's book.

    "Man in the Moon" is another cultural reference that's been introduced to me by Slashdot, in the past 5 minutes.

    1. Re:rodent by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I knew about the "man in the moon" from this picture. But until now I thought it was just a famous picture for an undiscernible reason.
      I have a vague recollection about some Eastern cultural references that linked the moon to a rabbit, but again I thought this was just some historical cultural quirk.

      I never realized people actually saw things in the moon...

  12. Are you people blind? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's clearly an eagle.

  13. Mooon Rabbit, Moon rabbit. by klek · · Score: 1

    Still looks more like a leaping Rabbit to me... there's actually two rabbits (not at the same time), one going one way, the other going.. the other.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

  14. No man in moon - it's a rabbit by ignavus · · Score: 1

    I have never seen a man in the moon - but I can detect a rabbit. And so did the CHinese: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    --
    I am anarch of all I survey.
  15. Shouldn't that be the "Man ON the Moon?" by grep+-v+'.*'+* · · Score: 1

    If he was IN the moon, he's either an Evil Genius in his hidden lair, or a guy struggling to breathe for a multitude of reasons.

    Either way, I'd still want to know about him. ("One MILLION Dollars...")

    --
    If the universe is someone's simulation -- does that mean the stars are just stuck pixels?
  16. Andy Kaufman says... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah.

  17. More from D News by MrKaos · · Score: 1

    They're all Scyencey and stuff, like you know sorta kinda facts and, stuff

    --
    My ism, it's full of beliefs.
  18. I don't see a face. by guantamanera · · Score: 1

    I am mexican so i see a rabit every time I look at the moon. This is the first time I hear about the face. The rabit is so imprinted in my braind that I don't think I will ever be able to see the face. Moon Rabbit

  19. If A Volcano Made The Man Then... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What made the bunny?

  20. Man created by volcano by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Aren't all humans (and most animals) created by a "volcano". :)

    1. Re:Man created by volcano by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Aren't all humans (and most animals) created by a "volcano". :)

      No. You have that confused with Thetans. Common mistake, everyone makes it.

  21. Nope by ThatsNotPudding · · Score: 1

    Whenever you look up at the near side of the moon, you see a face looking back at you.

    Nope. Never.

  22. Rabbit making mochi by omfglearntoplay · · Score: 1

    I never can see this man in the moon guy. But when I heard in Japan it's a Rabbit making mochi... instantly I can see those rabbit ears and everything else makes sense!