What's that? New rock in Mars rover photos baffles scientists, fans

chron.com ^ | January 16, 2014 | Carol Christian |

[BenLurkin]

Practically overnight, an unexplained piece of rock has shown up on photos from NASA's Mars rover Opportunity, according to the digital Russian TV network RT (Russia Today).

The rover hasn't moved in over a month, as it waits for better weather, but a photo taken on Sol 3540 (Jan. 8, or the 3,540th Martian solar day since the Opportunity rover landed) shows a rock that wasn't visible in previous photos taken on Sol 3536.

...

Staffers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California who maintain the rover camera (pancam) database for NASA have named the rock Pinnacle Island.

[JoeProBono]

[Chode]

the Rover has moved since the first picture was taken

the solar panel is farther away from the three round rocks in the right side photo, but the article says it hasn't moved...

[BitWielder1]

It's there in the left image also, but you can hardly see it.
The angle and the light in the two images are different.
The rover must have moved and it's a different time of day.

[mrsmith]

Glad to hear that from someone LOL!

A close-up:

[Louis Foxwell]

But he also said he saw the rock in both pics. I did too. Leading me to consider the kind of mind that spontaneously bursts out with “rock of phages” at the mere mention of bacteriological activity as an hypothesis for the rock that is not there then is.

/Lou

[bunkerhill7]

If yo`ll zoom in just below the rock,
you can see a picture a man sticking his tongue out.

[Norm Lenhart]

Am I the only one that thinks of that thing every time I see a box of Hamburger Helper?

[JRandomFreeper]

Yeah... but I've got a gospel tune stuck in my head now...

/johnny

[Zeppo]

Lots can happen in 4 sols. Was it a holiday weekend?

What happens on Mars, stays on Mars.

[Hetty_Fauxvert]

Actually it looks like its in the first photo as well. Look carefully and you see a mark in the same spot. Looks as though Photo 2 was taken at a different time of day and the shadows make it more 3 D.

[JRandomFreeper]

What happens on Mars, stays on Mars.

Then explain my 2nd grandson from my younger daughter.... Guy's gotta be from Mars.

/johnny

[Vince Ferrer]

windblown pumice

Would pumice form without water?

[KGeorge]

Geez. It’s a piece of used foil.

To J Random...or Def Leppard.

[fish hawk]

Why is a bacteria “life” on Mars (if indeed they can find one) but a heartbeat in a womb is nothing here on earth, worthy of an abortion.

[JRandomFreeper]

I have an almost identical piece of aluminum foil with bits of chicken stuck on it in my kitchen garbage at this moment.

Including the 'oops, no aluminum foil in the microwave' melting marks.

/johnny

[fish hawk]

Sheila Jackson Lee wants to know where the American flag is that Neil Armstrong put there????

[djf]

Looks like a gopher hole to me...

[beethovenfan]

Tricky, those Martians.

[Dubh_Ghlase]

Weeping angel?

Don't stop looking at it!!!

[gitmo]

It resembles a gemmae cup.