Unusual Looking Martian Rock

NONE | 1-9-04 | Orion78

[Orion78]

The original image from NASA is HERE

Location of Rock in Question

Close Up

[Bernard Marx]

in the lower talus debris I picked out some good plates of mica (~2X2 inches) and a little aquamarine in some of the debris. Might be an emerald or two up there!

The mica book and aqua are excellent signs of gem vugs in pegmatite! Well worth further exploration -- let me know how you do. As for emerald, maybe but I doubt it. Most emerald deposits I know of are metamorphic. The famous Colombian occurrences are in shale IIRC. They've been finding some big ones lately near Hidden, N.C. and I'm not sure about that geology. The entire region is known for emerald, Hiddenite (green spodumene), corundums and gem garnets. They're using ground penetrating radar to locate emerald-bearing vugs.

[Blue Scourge]

I'm not much of a geologist, but it just looks like a rock with a simple hole in it. It could be otherwise, but probably caused by wind erosion. Thats my .01 cents worth.

[Orlando]

It's been 2 weeks now, since mars spirit landed and we are not getting true clear color images as promise by jpl long ago. I also don't like the long delays in releases of images and alot of them are pure junk and bad, gee...
In 1965 , Mariner 4 send back better images than alot of these images from the $450 million 2004 Mars Spirit , Mariner 4 was powered by 1-bit computor power, and in 1976
and 1977 Viking 1 & 2 landers show clear color images within hours, and in 1997 (before the 1.0 Web B..) Pathfinder send back real-color in real-time...

I don't like the BS delays, and it seem that alot of editing and false images are now being shown, this is sad
for the future of the space program.

57% of the American tax-payer/Voters are against giving more $$$$ to NASA/JPL, and I would love to increase Jpl/
NASA funds and have JPL built more rovers, but if Jpl are
just going to lie, and provide false colors/images/delays/
bad images, black-out images,etc...no real-time images as pathfinders did in 1997. I say forget it !!!

This is bad science, make it 58% now......vet out
ps.....they landed in a graveyard

[FireTrack]

"It's been 2 weeks now, since mars spirit landed and we are not getting true clear color images as promise by jpl long ago."

The silence is deafening. In times past, there would have been all kinds of speculation about the types of rocks they are seeing.

We're getting better commentary from FR members and we're looking at images 1/20 the resolution of what the scientists at NASA are seeing.

If you hear Bush is going to give a press conference in the next few days, hold onto your hat!

[Orion78]

It is actually a record. -44 with wind chill of -100 at Mount Washington, Maine. The coldest we got here in southern PA was 3 degrees with wind chill of -15. That isn't very cold according to many locals, but I moved here from California about 6 months ago and that is way too cold for me. I can't imagine living in Maine. =)

[Orion78]

Woot! Martian Diamonds, wouldn't that be nice? If that was the case, we would have to do some sample returns! But seriously, do you think Halite is possible? Is salt a common mineral on Mars like it is on Earth? It seems like the kind of thing you would find in a dried up lake bed.

[Orion78]

6.3 Mp Canon Digital Rebel...

....DROOL....

[Orion78]

It could very well just be a rock with a simple hole in it. It just looks wierd because the "hole", (if that is what it is), is so rectangle shaped. We will soon find out in the next day or two. I think we should have some new pictures of the rock in question sometime after 3PM EST today.

[Orion78]

I too am a bit surprised there have not been more color images. The only thing I can figure is that NASA has it's hands full at the moment. They have the Spirit rover going and now Opportunity is less than a week out from landing. I read last night that they plan to park Spirit for 3 days after Opportunity lands so that the NASA staff is not overwhelmed.

Also, if you are interested, NASA is going to do some kind of special on the science learned so far from Spirit, hosted by the one and only "Bill Nye the science guy". There will be commentary from the Huston Museum of Natural Science and also from Spirit Mission team members. It is set to start in 30 minutes (3PM EST). It can be watched via the net on NASA TV. Real Player is required. The link and more information can be found here:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html

[Bernard Marx]

do you think Halite is possible? Is salt a common mineral on Mars like it is on Earth?

I don't have the expertise to answer that. I think one of the primary objectives of this mission is to perform soil and rock analyses to determine just that kind of question. We know certain minerals are more abundant on the moon than here from rocks that were returned to Earth so there may be big differences between Earth and Mars too. Having lived near the Great Salt Lake I can't recall any single salt xls that large. But this is an alien planet -- who knows yet what's possible? IMO if it's a hole I think another mineral may be more likely. I can't see how halite could form inside another rock that way.

[e_engineer]

Anybody notice the two sky anomolies in the rover camera picture above? I know there have been some alien comments on this thread but it has been joking around or worse crazy paranoia but I looked at the original tiff and those anomolies are in there as well. Any clues to what they may be? Orbiters or phobos and demos?

Maybe dust specks on the camera lens. You would not notice them among the darker pixels below the horizon.

[tet68]

Don't know what the deal is with their programming.
It was supposed to come on at three.

[tet68]

I really don't understand why they are so slow on their coverage. I compare this to pathfinder and my memory of that was a lot more information, faster .

I just hate to see NASA miss out on the opportunity this presents to boost their position.
Their coverage on NASA TV is still kid oriented, ISS coverage etc played over and over again, too bad.

[Orion78]

Thanks for the input. I read last night they are going to use the Mössbauer Spectrometer on the same patch of soil they used the microscopic imager on. Some of the results should be in today, so we might get an idea of what kind of minerals make up the Martian soil. I have been on the refresh button every 30 minutes for the last 2 hours hoping for new content on the Mars Exploration Rover homepage. I think we should get new pictures of "Rectangle Hole Rock" today.

[Orion78]

I agree. It seems like information was coming out of NASA much faster back durring the Pathfinder Mission. Like I posted earlier, the only thing I can figure is that NASA has it's hands full with Opportunity set to land in only 7 days.

As far as NASA TV content, I have noticed that they do not have very much new content. I've also noticed, like you said, alot of their programing is kid oriented. I think it is good to get the kids interested in this kind of stuff, but you need to keep the adults interested as well.

Anyway, I don't know why the program they listed on their website did not show at 3PM EST. I am very disapointed. I had hoped to learn which rocks were the ones they have given names to. Instead, they played a clip titled "NASA remembers MLK" and then had several clips of GWB and Dick Cheney's visit to JPL.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Columnar Basalt often forms in rectangular shapes. This is a common and natural occurance where volcanic activity is or once was. The same principals apply through out the Universe.

Many Basalt formations here on Earth look as if they were sculpted yesterday and they maintain their shape even when exposed to extreme weather.

[Orion78]

I ran across these pictures last night and thought you might like to see them. They were taken from the Mars Pathfinder Lander. They look like they have been magnified many times, so I imagine that both of the moons of Mars are only visible as a speck in the sky when you view them from the surface.

[Orlando]

I need some help with these images, and I wish that I could put side by side by side (3) images together and to place arrows to objects & unknowns... I will try my best, so please forgive me....

This I title..."Finding Waldo" ...

Image #1.... "No Waldo"

At @ 11 O'Clock, 70% Up, just under sand-bed, First Big rock with semi-hole on left side...If you can zoom-in 2,4X..here's that image


http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/2/p/013/2P127518929EFF0309P2364R7M1.JPG


Image #2...Same location, but different time....


http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/2/p/013/2P127528143EFF0309P2364R7M1.JPG


"I think that's Waldo?" by same rock/left side....???


Image#3...... Same location, different time


http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/2/p/013/2P127528065EFF0309P2364L2M1.JPG


What is your opinion, what do you see ???

[Orion78]

You mean like this? It almost looks man-made!

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Yes, that is a good example of natural Basalt.

I've seen "rectangular" holes in many examples, similar to the one in the beginning photo.

In colder climates, when exposed to moisture it can cause irregular fractures.