Moosilauke Basin - no not that one

[chipc]

Maybe this stretches the definition of General Backcountry, but I was reading about the Mars Curiosity mission in today's New York Times and noticed that on the rover's route was a "Moosilauke Basin" and "Robert Frost Pass". After a little digging around I found out that this region is referred to as the Hanover quad, so features were named for NH locations.

http://astrogeology.usgs.gov/news/astrogeology/sol-670-update-on-curiosity-from-usgs-scientist-ryan-anderson-quad-hopping

If you Google Moosilauke and Mars you can find more of the trip report.

 

[Mark]

It's part of Nasa's red-lining mission of Mars!

;-)

 

[peakbagger]

Cool - Great Trivia

 

[David Metsky]

I wonder if there are any DOC alums on the Curiosity team?

 

[David Metsky]

Not a DOC'er, but there is a member of the Dartmouth class of 2007 on the Rover team and she helped chose many of those names.

 

[skiguy]

Hope the Rover is careful out there when it gets to Coventry!

 

[David Metsky]

Here's a list of names from the Hanover quad that are in use on Mars:

Albee
Ammonoosuc
Baker River
Balch Hill
Beaver Brook
Berwick
Bloods Brook
Calef
Eliot
Elizabeth
Exeter
Furnace Flats
Girl Brook
Hardy Hill
Hitchcock
Holts Ledge
Kinsman
Kittery
Lebanon
Littleton
Mascoma
Meetinghouse
Merrimack
Moat
Monroe
Moosilauke Basin
Mt. Tug
Northey Hill
Occom Pond
Partridge
Piermont
Podunk
Quechee Gorge
Storrs Pond
Velvet Rocks
Waterville
Winnipesaukee

 

[summitseeker]

Here's a list of names from the Hanover quad that are in use on Mars:

Albee
Ammonoosuc
Baker River
Balch Hill
Beaver Brook
Berwick
Bloods Brook
Calef
Eliot
Elizabeth
Exeter
Furnace Flats
Girl Brook
Hardy Hill
Hitchcock
Holts Ledge
Kinsman
Kittery
Lebanon
Littleton
Mascoma
Meetinghouse
Merrimack
Moat
Monroe
Moosilauke Basin
Mt. Tug
Northey Hill
Occom Pond
Partridge
Piermont
Podunk
Quechee Gorge
Storrs Pond
Velvet Rocks
Waterville
Winnipesaukee

That's funny. I thought "sunny downtown Epping was the center of the universe".

At least that's what my elementary school science teacher used to always say...


Very cool. Good fact finding gentelmen.

Be well,

Z

 

[chipc]

Neat - also found this reference to a second Dartmouth alum (see the second entry) who is part of the mission. http://dartmouthalumnimagazine.com/articles/voices-wilderness-5