Analysis of LO-III-164-H2

Figure 3 Analysis
 

Now that new information has become available, I can finally resolve many of the issues raised originally many months ago regarding this frame. However, the "Overpass" (see far below) appears to be a genuine raised structure without a satisfactory natural explanation.

Figure 3 appears to be fairly mundane impact crater. Yet, a number of unusual if not outright strange features adorn this frame. The sun appears to be coming from the high right, but I cannot confirm this as my copy of the Lunar Orbiter data is unreadable. The location is 1 degree, 40 minutes N, 42 degrees 20 minutes W.

The "double ring" nature of this crater is not a common sight for Lunar impact craters. In fact, it may be unprecedented. The center of the crater also has some very bright spots in the shadowed portion, which may indicate a structure of some kind in the bowl.

The left to right "graining" of the film strips is quite obvious, but a bright "scratch" on the far right of the picture, running almost vertical (in the frame) is less easily dismissible. It seems to actually pass through several "nubs" on the Lunar surface, rather than obscure them underneath, as it would if it were an actual emulsion scratch. The fact that it passes almost directly through the center of a number of these "nubs", and seems to terminate at anchor points, like a massive clothes line, also warranted closer scrutiny. However, the negative I received from NSSDC did not have this feature, and I must conclude it is a scratch or deliberately etched line.

In addition, several craters in the lower center of the frame form a nearly perfect triangular formation, one made up of three points, the other of 5. The craters on Burgess' version have a distinctly hexagonal shape, and they retain this on my version (see below). The significance of this shape remains debatable.
 

The most intriguing object on this frame is the "Overpass":
 

Located adjacent to the large double crater in the center of Fig. 3 (above top), this object has the appearance of an Overpass or trestle, perhaps once traversing the the shallow depression it overhangs. Clearly reflecting a lot of sunlight, it blots out the rocky terrain below and has a box-like, "stepped" construction ...
 

Burgess version.	Bara version.

The "squaring" of the steps may be due to image compression in the "Burgess version", but it certainly has the appearance of a staircase of some sort. The object is probably about 2-3 stories high, and is not likely to have been caused by debris from the crater formation or volcanic action. It is a "spike" standing up over the edge of the crater where it should not be. Unfortunately, it is not likely this object has been photographed in any other NASA frames, and it is far too small to resolve with Clementine's instruments.