  |
|
|
|
M is for Mars Rock Named 'Adirondack'
We've always known the Adirondacks were out of this world, but now there's proof - NASA has named a rock on Mars 'Adirondack' - and now everyone knows what a far-out place we are!
Well, as it turns out - the rock isn't actually an Adirondack rock - it is a Mars rock that was named "Adirondack" by Steven Squyres, the Mars mission's chief scientist, said The Post Star newspaper in their on-line article. They go on to say: "The Mars rock, likely to be the first destination of the Spirit rover, was named "Adirondack" because of its mountain-like shape and pristine appearance. It also probably didn't hurt that the man who had the final say over the name is a New York resident who's been hiking, skiing and climbing in the Adirondacks for decades." According to The Post Star "Squyres, a professor of astronomy at Cornell University and an Ithaca resident, camped in the Adirondacks as a Boy Scout. As an adult, he said, he particularly enjoys winter mountaineering, ice climbing and skiing in the High Peaks." The story was also reported on the Albany evening news on NewsChannel 13. Reporter Steve Scoville filed a report in which he interviewed Dr. John Delano from the University at Albany. Dr. Delano said, "We have no idea, Steve, about the age of the rocks that we're seeing on Mars...none....the age of the rocks in the Adirondacks is somewhere in the vicinity of about a billion years. We have no such idea in looking at the images at the Spirit landing site, what the ages of those rocks are." The report goes on to tell us, "What's interesting is that Dr Delano has a piece of Mars, blasted off the planet in a collision 11 million years ago. That piece of Mars is roughly the same age, as the Adirondack mountains." Of course it was all very exciting for us here in the Adirondacks. Imagine - the first rock that rover would inspect was named after our neck of the woods - fantastic! Now the world would know more about us as well as that funny shaped rock on Mars! Interesting until the news that almost immediately followed the naming of the Mars rock - that NASA had lost communication with Spirit - just as it was about to tell us so many things about Mars - and that rock. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article M is for Mars Rock Named Adirondack in Adirondack Mountains is owned by Gary W. Taylor. Permission to republish M is for Mars Rock Named Adirondack in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
|
|
|
