Are the gods playing marbles on Mars?

New Scientist ^ | 6/11/13 | Victoria Jaggard

[LibWhacker]

(Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona)

A rolling stone gathers no moss – but on Mars it can nevertheless cloak itself in mystery. This NASA image shows the track of a boulder that rolled across the Nili Fossae region of Mars. For now it is anyone's guess what set the rock in motion.

This false-colour picture (click on it for higher resolution) was posted on 7 June to the Beautiful Mars Tumblr feed, a collection of high-resolution shots from the HiRISE camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. It shows dark, jagged tracks left in the soil by a lumpy boulder, probably a few metres wide, as it tumbled down a slope. A handful of smaller rocks (seen on the right) also made dotted lines as they rolled.

[John 3_19-21]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbKldILIjfo

[Shadowstrike]

Flux in the magnetic field of Mars?

Maybe a tiny marsquake?

[UCANSEE2]

What I find interesting is that the two rocks in the picture seem to follow almost identical paths.

I have wondered if it’s not the wind, but the gravitational pull from the moon that moves them.

People might say that’s silly, but the moon lifts the surface of the world’s oceans every day.

[wonkowasright]

But where are the water traps ? :-)

[Chode]

or perhaps Jupiter?

[Jack Hydrazine]

Good! Now let’s see them replicate it in the lab!

[LibWhacker]

Gods he was good. Remember him well. ‘Sunshine Superman’ was my favorite.

[UCANSEE2]

[UCANSEE2]

I guess it is possible.

However, the orbit of Jupiter is very slow and wouldn’t account for the zigzag movement.

Jupiter could have pulled the rocks down the hills on Mars, though.

[SaraJohnson]

The rock cliff in that picture looks like something you would see at the grand canyon.

[Chode]

absolutely wonderful pix...

[wonkowasright]

You are convincing me!!!

Now all we need is the beverage hut. :-)

[UCANSEE2]

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks LibWhacker.

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[SunkenCiv]

Thanks LibWhacker — and an extra to APoD members. Bowlin’, Bowlin’, Bowlin’ but no river...

[TheOldLady]

Cool thread, sir. Thanks for the ping.

[wonkowasright]

lol.....

FORE !!!!!!!

[SunkenCiv]

Clearly, someone or something on Mars has lost its marbles. /rimshot!

[TheOldLady]

Clearly, they don’t know the rules for playing marbles. ;-D