A Village on the Moon? - A Look at Clementine Crater

by Michael Bara

1996

This mosaic of Clementine UVVIS images (below) covers the center of the impact crater Tycho. It was formed when a large meteorite (or comet) slammed into the Moon. The version on the right is a 3 color composite (415 nm, 750 nm, 1000 nm); the version in the center is a color composite of wavelength ratios which show different rock and soil types. Note the distinct color difference of the central peak due to excavation of deep material during the impact that formed the crater.

The ratio image on the left enhances an unusual polygonal pattern in the floor of the crater. The origin of this feature is not clear, however future work using all 11 wavelengths collected by the UVVIS and NIR cameras will most likely reveal the origin of these enigmatic "cracks".

These below Clementine Images and the accompanying caption were found on the USGS Clementine web site. They show not only the anomalous "polygonal pattern", but some highly unusual "debris" on the terraced ridge overlooking the crater floor.

The right hand 3-color mosaic (above) shows 5 of the brightest objects certainly do not resemble "standard" Lunar debris.

The first image above shows Tycho crater (43S, 12W) from the UV/Vis camera with the 1000 nm filter. The image was taken on Orbit 40 on 28 Feb 1994,13:17:00 UT at an altitude of 425 Km. North is upward in this image.

This "regular" (visible light) Clementine image was taken from the NSSDC Clementine section on their web page and tends to hide the "polygonal pattern" but shows the "Lunar Village" in sharp relief. The polygonal pattern may be indicative of a "substructure" beneath the crater floor.

It has been implied that the Moon itself may be either constructed or at least partially modified. There is actually some reason to consider this idea. It has been noted that all craters on the Moon seem to have about the same depth, irrespective of the size (and mass) of the impacting object.

Also, the Moon seems to be "light". It does not have the proper density for its apparent make-up. (I will dig up sources on these observations when time permits). Tycho does seem to be insufficiently deep given its width. The "polygonal pattern" resembles a skin stretched over a gridwork.

As for the debris, a close up of some of the objects shows just how unusual they are.

For comparison purposes, I have labeled these objects the "Pyramid", the "Chalet", "Geodome", the "Longhorn" and the "Backhoe". This does not mean that I am suggesting that these are in fact a backhoe, chalets, or a true pyramid.

However, all these objects stand out based on their brightness relative to the surrounding terrain, their unusual geometric shapes, and their proximity to each other.

The "Chalet"

This object I've dubbed the "Chalet", looks somewhat like an A-frame building. Note that it appears to form fit on the left hand side matching the terraced terrain. It is also far brighter than the surrounding ground, indicating it is made of a different material.

The "roof" seems to overhang the flat faced supporting structure, and dark "windows" are visible in a pattern on the front face.

The "chimney" has several dark vertical striations, hinting at some sort of venting system. They are almost certainly not image artifacts, as they end where the "chimney" meets the "roof". The "chimney" also has a domed tip with a flange.

The accompanying object, "Chalet 2" also displays comparable peculiar characteristics.

Roughly hexagonal in shape, it too seems to jut from the hillside as if it were the tip of a much larger sub surface object or was actually "dug in" to the side of the hill. It as well has an apparent overhanging "roof" with an exposed flat face front "wall" facing out to the crater. It also has "windows" similar to the "chalet" and a possible entrance at the base. It is set apart from the background by the brightness of the "roof" and its geodesic shape, similar to late 1970's concepts of "solar" homes.

The "Pyramid"

Slightly northwest of the "chalet" is this enigmatic faceted object. Again it is very bright and appears to have a 4 sided pyramidal structure. The direction of the shadows makes determining the details of the underside impossible, but the object does appear to be generally symmetrical.

It also maintains its pyramidal characteristics in both the color composite mosaic shown in the USGS images.

The "Backhoe"

This object resembles a tractor or bulldozer with a drooping scoop set off to the right. It seems to have an opening in-between the "arm" and the base of the main body. There are cavities beneath the object in shadow, separated by a "post" between them.

The "arm" seems to be made of as many as 8 individual components. The shadow indicates this is a solid vertical structure and its brightness against the background imply it is not made of the same material.

The "Longhorn"

This looks to be a basically symmetrical object with 2 central "nodes" and curved arms extending from the central body. There appears to be some underlying support just to the left of the right hand curved "arm", but the central spherical "node" looks to be above the ground, judging by the shadow beneath it.

Note that is also sits in what resembles an excavated "pen" or platform, which is reasonably rectilinear from this resolution. I am not aware of any accepted process that could account for this object forming naturally.

Summary

Each of these objects on their own could potentially be explained away by some exotic natural process. However, due to their grouping in such a small area and varying characteristics, it's unlikely one explanation could encompass them all. These objects all have the look of machinery or constructs, as opposed to the simple boulders and cracks which should dominate this landscape. Indeed, the very complexity of these objects argues for their non-natural origin.

A fractal analysis of this crater could potentially validate their uniqueness against the backdrop. I will also attempt to find high resolution images of the floor of Tycho from other sources, as Clementines' data is rather coarse. As it stands, none of these objects fits any geological model of the Moon that I am aware of. For the moment, they must stand as truly anomalous and potentially artificial.

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