Galle (Martian crater)
{{short description|Crater on Mars, also known as the "happy face crater"}}
{{hatnote group|
{{distinguish|Gale (Martian crater)}}
{{About|the crater on Mars|the lunar crater|Galle (lunar crater)}}
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{{Infobox crater data
| titlecolor = #FA8072
| title = Galle
| image = Happy-face1.jpg
| caption = Photographed by the Mars Global Surveyor, 1999-03-10
| coordinate_title = Coordinates
| globe = Mars
| coordinates = {{coord|51.2|S|30.9|W|globe:mars_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| diameter = 230.0 km
| eponym = Johann Gottfried Galle
}}
Galle is a crater on Mars. It is located on the eastern rim of the huge impact basin Argyre Planitia in Argyre quadrangle. It is named after the German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle.{{gpn|2080|Galle}} Galle is often known as the "happy face crater" because pareidolia causes a curved mountain range in the southern part of the crater and two smaller mountain clusters further north to appear to be a smiley face. The formation was first photographed by Viking Orbiter 1.
A second "happy face crater", smaller than Galle and located at 45.1°S, 55.0°W in Nereidum Montes, was discovered by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on January 28, 2008.[http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00001314/ Have a happy day on Mars] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100421201318/http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00001314/ |date=2010-04-21 }}, The Planetary Society Blog, Feb. 1, 2008
Appearance in ''Watchmen''
As the smiley is a key motif in the comic book Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave 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."{{cite news|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-03-01/news/0902270350_1_watchmen-silk-spectre-zack-snyder|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140308175837/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-03-01/news/0902270350_1_watchmen-silk-spectre-zack-snyder|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 8, 2014|title='Watchmen': Your guide to watching the big screen adaptation of the comic book|date=February 27, 2009|work=Chicago Tribune|author=Web Behrens}} The crater also appears in the same scene during the film adaptation.
Gallery
Image:Galle crater 352S24 352S26.jpg|Viking Orbiter 1 mosaic
Image:Galle crater 576A64 576A66.jpg|Another Viking 1 mosaic
Image:Wikigalleeast.jpg|East side of Galle crater, as seen by CTX camera (on MRO).
Image:Wikigulledunesgullies.jpg|Gullies on mounds and dunes in Galle crater, as seen by CTX camera. Note this is an enlargement of previous photo.
Image:Wikigallelayers.jpg|Layered deposit in Galle crater, as seen by CTX camera. Note: this is an enlargement of a previous image.
Image:Wikigalleflowsgullies.jpg|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.
Image:Wikigalledevils.jpg|Dunes and dust devil tracks in Galle crater, as seen by CTX camera.
Wikigalleeye.jpg|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.
ESP 046684 1280molawide.jpg|Wide view of area around Galle crater. Colors show elevations.
ESP 046684 1280molaclosergalle.jpg|Region around Galle crater. Colors show elevations.
ESP 046684 1280molaclosegalle.jpg|Galle crater. Colors show elevations. Arrow indicates a layered mound that is enlarged in other images to follow.
ESP 046684 1280gallecontext.jpg|Wide CTX view of part of layered mound. Parts of this mound are enlarged in HiRISE images that follow.
ESP 046684 1280layerspretty.jpg|HiRISE image from area in previous image. Picture taken under HiWish program.
ESP 046684 1280layersprettybottom.jpg|Layers in mound in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
ESP 046684 1280layersprettymiddle.jpg|Layers in mound in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
ESP 046684 1280layersprettytop.jpg|Layers in mound in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
46684 1280breaking.jpg|Layers breaking up into boulders in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
46684 1280gullies.jpg|Layers and gullies in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
46684 1280layers.jpg|Close view of layers in mound in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
46684 1280mesa.jpg|Layered mesa in mound in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
46684 1280polygons.jpg|Layers and polygons in mound in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
46684 1280wall.jpg|Close view of layers in mound in Galle crater, as seen by HiRISE under HiWish program
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commonscat}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20100221073925/http://science.nasa.gov/current/event/ast12mar99_1.htm The Galle Crater on NASA.gov]
- {{APOD |date=15 March 1999|title=Happy Face Crater on Mars}}
{{Geography of Mars|topography}}
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