In a message dated 6/23/00 8:04:26 AM Pacific Daylight Time, ANON writes:

<< Subj: Fwd: RE: LAKE STEADMAN, a finding by Kent Steadman
Date: 6/23/00 8:04:26 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: ANON
To: bardsquill@aol.com

Well Kent, they (Marshall Space Flight Center) can't find your lake,
Strange? And then they tell me to go to JPL.

The right hand doesn't know what's up the left sleeve or visa versa.

I sent them the pictures with the coordinates.
>>

I know now why: yesterday in the conference Malin admitted he hadn't see the many of the MGS images, and this data was easy to overlook. IT TAKES A TRAINED EYE! [drum roll] THE ARTIST! This data been posted a year now unchanged. From my stats-counter 1,479,662 visitors have seen Lake Steadman. I also alerted several key people within the establishment.
At:
steadlake.html

LAKE STEADMAN Geometry: Latitude 24.65°, Longitude, 207.10° (MGS)

On 5/10/99, 9:37 And 9:39 Pacific Time: I obtained the "Lake" image files, 42203g.jpg and b42203h.jpg from the MGS Atlas at:

http://ida.wr.usgs.gov/html/orb_0422/42203.html

Geometry

Latitude 24.65°

Longitude 207.10°

(third and fourth panels from left-bottom)

I was examining an area at 0°and 30° Latitude and 180°and 210° Longitude, and almost slid past the data because the low-res seemed at first so innocuous, but when I grabbed the hi-res I immediately saw the intriguing lake-shape. With a simple contrast-stretch the difference in reflectiveness from lake surface to surroundings became apparent.

The enhancements on the lake vary from detail to detail, but in general I used a "stretch detail" filter from Micrografx Photomagic, an old application that continues to serve me well. I also colorized with Micrografx, and then opened with Photoshop to adjust contrast and compress for web publishing.

I really go by and trust artist's eye.

In a message dated 5/19/99 7:43:36 AM Pacific Daylight Time, jblue@flagmail.wr.usgs.gov writes:

Subj: martian lake

Date: 5/19/99 7:43:36 AM Pacific Daylight Time

From: jblue@flagmail.wr.usgs.gov (Jenny Blue (GD.Flagstaff)

To: Phikent@aol.com

CC: jblue@flagmail.wr.usgs.gov, abennett@flagmail.wr.usgs.gov

Dear Mr. Steadman,

Ms. Annie Bennett forwarded your email to me because I am responsible for managing the database containing planetary names. I'm afraid that the naming process is long, involved and rather strict. You can read about the rules and regulations of the process on the web site which contains the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature
(http://wwwflag.wr.u sgs.gov/USGSFlag/Space/nomen/nomen.html).

If you have any questions about the naming process after looking at the web site, please feel free to write.

Best regards,

Jennifer Blue

Subj: Re: martian lake

Date: 5/19/99 2:34:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time

From: Phikent

To: jblue@flagmail.wr.usgs.gov

CC: abennett@flagmail.wr.usgs.gov

CC: rlxfl@earthlink.net, Phikent

CC: KKASTEN@pathology.medsch.ucla.edu

rlxfl@earthlink.net KKASTEN@pathology.medsch.ucla.edu

Attention Jennifer Blue:

Dear Ms Blue:

I'm just an ordinary citizen that found in the MGS MOC Mars images a lake, highly reflective and watery--well it looks like a lake! So I named the wondrous artifact, "Lake Steadman," thinking of my Dad, a great fisherman.

Also I published my findings, notes, dates of discovery and enhancements to the Internet and proudly sent notice to everybody I know.

CBJD/orbit/mars/steadlake.html

I'm an artist, and therefore I took some liberties in visualizing the significance of the artifact, even seeing a wild resemblance in features along the cliffs to the great Egyptian temple Abu Simbel. Perhaps this is too much the imagination, but then I would cite as kindred, Lowell, Sagan, others, all in my opinion great dreamers as well as dedicated researchers.

I have received encouragement from Kathy Kasten, UCLA, to contact yourselves, also received other support such as:

5/13/99 4:36:51 PM Pacific Daylight Time: Kent: Great find. The lake deserves your name or that of your father. I studied Mars prior to going into our national space program, but nothing like this. Congratulations. Clark McClelland, Former ScO, Space Shuttle Fleet, Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

Wouldn't it be an awesome idea for NASA to recognize ordinary folks as partners in discovery? What a great handshake that would be!

I could use some help please. If you have any forms that need to be filled out I'd be most grateful if you would forward to:

Kent M. Steadman

In Reply to: Lake Steadman posted by on June 25, 2000 at 07:30:20 AM EDT

Posting: