Verona Rupes: Tallest Known Cliff in the Solar System

Astronomy Picture of the Day
20 Kilometer Drop
Verona Rupes: Tallest Known Cliff in the Solar System

It has been suggested that this Astronomy Picture of the Day would be
great for your viewing.

If you are afraid of heights, then be forewarned, don't look down.
- LRK -
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070723.html -
Verona Rupes: Tallest Known Cliff in the Solar System
Credit: Voyager 2, NASA
Explanation: Could you survive a jump off the tallest cliff in the Solar
System? Quite possibly. Verona Rupes on Uranus' moon Miranda is
estimated to be 20 kilometers deep -- ten times the depth of the Earth's
Grand Canyon. Given Miranda's low gravity, it would take about 12
minutes for a thrill-seeking adventurer to fall from the top, reaching
the bottom at the speed of a racecar -- about 200 kilometers per hour.
Even so, the fall might be survivable given proper airbag protection.
The above image of Verona Rupes was captured by the passing Voyager 2
robotic spacecraft in 1986. How the giant cliff was created remains
unknown, but is possibly related to a large impact or tectonic surface
motion.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part of the reason I think folks would like to go to the Moon, Mars, and
Beyond is for the thrill of seeing new sights and living on the edge.

Folks climb mountains, scale Half Doom at Yosemite, go down into caves,
and generally go places that test their abilities.
http://travel.webshots.com/album/13284027EEyAVMFdoL
http://www.ocean.udel.edu/kiosk/bsmoker.html
http://www.caves.org/

And then there are some that have taken a barrel over the Niagara Falls.
http://www.niagarafallslive.com/daredevils_of_niagara_falls.htm

Best you check with your fellow astronauts just why they want to go
forth and explore.
- LRK -

Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
==============================================================
Astronomy Picture of the Day
20 Kilometer Drop
Verona Rupes: Tallest Known Cliff in the Solar System
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070723.html -

Snip
==============================================================
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Index - Main Page

Snip
==============================================================
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
Astronomy Picture of the Day Archive

Snip
==============================================================
WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK
==============================================================