NASA Scientist Sees Possible Mat of Martian Microbes

Space.com ^ | 09 August 2004 | Leonard David

[null and void]

DENVER, COLORADO -- A future astronaut traipsing across the landing sites of the Mars Exploration Rovers – Spirit and Opportunity – might be squishing into a welcome mat of microbes, according to one NASA scientist. ... Unfolding saga ... The observations... strongly suggested primitive life may have existed on Mars more than 3.6 billion years ago. ... Microbial mat ... The Mars rovers represent an incredibly successful mission, McKay said. Moreover, they seemingly have "uncovered" a major find. He points to pictures taken by the rovers that show areas of the martian surface disturbed by the retraction of landing airbags.

Patches of surface "acted as a cohesive blanket of some sort" when the airbags pulled back, McKay explains. "It wrinkled…and pulled along rocks with it. It didn’t simply crack apart like a dried-up crust."

Why the soil reacted in such a manner remains obscure, McKay admits. "But one possibility is that this is the fossilized remains of a biological mat of some sort," ... "I think there’s really something there," McKay told SPACE.com. "There is some cohesiveness to that material. ... "If you accept the hypothesis that what’s been seen is a microbial mat on Mars, is it an old one or a living one?"

On one hand, given moisture and becoming a little wetter than usual, a growing martian mat is conceivable. "One could also argue that it’s a very old mat, formed at the base of an ocean or lake. Perhaps it’s two billion years old. I have a lot of trouble figuring out how to tell those ideas apart," McKay said. ... "I would love of have had a video of that Magic Carpet being pulled up. That might have made the point incredibly strong," McKay concluded.

[null and void]

Let the games begin. Again

[null and void]

ping

[djf]

There are tons of pics that have what seem to be primitive forms. Especially the spiral type item, and things that look very similar trilobites to me.

I am certain there are exising microbes up there.

[NormsRevenge]

Mars Rover Opportunity Makes 'Significant' Finding

This old thread, amongst many posted, has a couple of shots that originally sparked a lot of speculation on what are all those darn things anway.;-)

Like..

Charlie Flats

[GeronL]

excuse me?? does he have any scientific basis at all for this?? I did not read the rest BTW

[LibWhacker]

"The resolution of the Microscopic Imager sort of falls apart right when it starts to get interesting," McKay said.

LOL, and so it shall always be! Nature is coy. You've heard of Moore's Law? Call this LibWhacker's Law, if I may be so presumptuous: The imagers of the future, which will be sent along on our robotic planetary spacecraft of the future, WILL NEVER be good enough, no matter how good they are.

Not that I'm outraged by that as a taxpayer. I'm bemused by it, lol!

Obviously, there's nothing we can do now but SEND UP ANOTHER SPACECRAFT AT GREAT EXPENSE TO THE TAXPAYER!!! :-)

[Nachoman]

I saw the virgin Mary in that second photo!

[Dallas59]

Could be the soil is powdery and fine that it acts like fluid when touched.

[DB]

This sure does look like water to me:

What do you guys think?

Here's the source: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040716a/16-JF-02-crop-B170R1_br.jpg

[searchandrecovery]

Microbial mat

Might be sea monkeys. Just add water.

[AndrewC]

The picture is in false color.

Cross your eyes and you can see a 3-D image of the upper right of your image.

[DB]

I'm a failure at that "crossing your eyes" thing...

[AndrewC]

I'm a failure at that "crossing your eyes" thing...

You might try this.

• Center yourself on the line between the images and keep your eyes level.
• Put your right index finger on your nose and try to focus on it. (don't try too hard)
• Slowly move the finger away from your nose, while trying to focus on it.
• As you concentrate on the finger notice the crossed image of the background.
• At a certain range you will get a center 3-D image. At that point transfer your concentration to the image.

I see the image when my finger is about 5 inches away and the screen is about 24 inches away. It's worth a try.

[DB]

I tried what you suggested...

I get either 3 or 4 images with vertical separation lines with my finger in the middle. I can't get the two to merge. I tried it at several different distances (from a few inches to about three feet). No go... I tried it before also when the stereo images were first being posted. Same problem.

Thanks for trying to help though.

[AndrewC]

I get either 3..

3 is what you want. The middle one is the 3-D image.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

Looks like fusilli pasta to me, but I'm on this low-carb thing, so maybe my memory's hazy.

[DB]

Oh...

Well...

At least I understand now.

I can't keep the three without my finger in the middle... I can't hold that view without it. If I drop my finger (even slowly) they merge back to two. I also have to be about 30" back and can't see well enough to make much out in the pictures.

Drain bamage I guess...

[ovrtaxt]

I think I saw Elvis.

[ovrtaxt]

Any fluid, such as wind, will do that.

[ovrtaxt]

Nah, that doesn't work at all. I just end up shooting a bird at myself and getting all dizzy.