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Rover OPPORTUNITY microscopic image . . . Martian soil . . . feel free to speculate
NASA - JPL ^
| 02-03-2004
| NASA/JPL
Posted on 02/03/2004 5:46:10 PM PST by Phil V.
Microscopic Imager Non-linearized Full frame EDR aquired on Sol 10 of Opportunity's mission to Meridiani Planum at approximately 11:26:27 Mars local solar time, Microscopic Imager dust cover commanded to be OPEN. NASA/JPL/Cornell/USGS
What's with the roundish grains?
1) Pyroclastic/volcanic origin
2) fungus colony
3) beach sand
4) Aldrin's golf ball
5) corrupt data
view larger image
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: mars; nasa; rover; rovers; space
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To: Phil V.
Fur balls from Socks the Cat?
61
posted on
02/03/2004 7:12:39 PM PST
by
Rocky
Comment #62 Removed by Moderator
To: djf
I keep hearing how great and wonderful it is that the rovers are there. They can just zip here, there and yonder, and do all these wonderful expiriments.
Instead, they just sit and look around. C'mon guys "kick the tires, and light the fires!"
I'm curious as well about the outcropings. I wonder what those layers are going to look like close up. It ought to be very interesting. If the rover ever gets the command to go.
63
posted on
02/03/2004 7:15:19 PM PST
by
Professional Engineer
(Spirit/Opportunity~0.002acres of sovereign US territory~All Your Mars Are Belong To USA)
To: Phil V.
What is the magnification? Can't make heads or tails out of this without a image scale reference mark.
64
posted on
02/03/2004 7:19:52 PM PST
by
Kirkwood
To: John H K
snake eyes! :)
65
posted on
02/03/2004 7:20:50 PM PST
by
skinkinthegrass
(Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get you :)
To: Darksheare
The pic's scale is much larger than the pic in post #17. If these were diatoms, then they would be Godzilla-sized diatoms. What's the size variation on diatoms?
66
posted on
02/03/2004 7:21:43 PM PST
by
Brett66
To: Kirkwood
67
posted on
02/03/2004 7:28:12 PM PST
by
Phil V.
To: Kirkwood
In all of the stories I've seen, they describe that pic as a close-up of a "coin-sized" patch.
68
posted on
02/03/2004 7:30:40 PM PST
by
Brett66
To: Phil V.
Anybody know what the bacground is? If it is the surrounding soil, then is is very interesting that there is an apparent bimodal distribution: the large particles easilty recognized in the image, but also the smaller grains that make up the soil in the backgrouns. Why no particles of intermediate size?
69
posted on
02/03/2004 7:43:35 PM PST
by
doc30
To: William Weatherford
Jeez, that is absolutely astounding in the big 877kb version!
70
posted on
02/03/2004 7:56:30 PM PST
by
tet68
To: Phil V.
Shells?
To: doc30
At a simialr stage in Spirit's reporting JPL/NASA created a 3-D image of the microscopic pic. It was truely interesting. The "soil" was vertically "stacked" . . . sorta like iron filings on a magnet . . .
72
posted on
02/03/2004 8:02:37 PM PST
by
Phil V.
To: Phil V.
73
posted on
02/03/2004 8:04:22 PM PST
by
ChadGore
(Bush 2004 HE'S EARNED IT)
To: Phil V.
Just below center: The skull of an embryonic E.T.
74
posted on
02/03/2004 8:12:19 PM PST
by
Erasmus
To: Erasmus
NO.
Clearly a pelvis.
75
posted on
02/03/2004 8:14:45 PM PST
by
Phil V.
To: Phil V.
Gosh, the 2nd from the top on the right looks like a tiny mask. It COULD be the little baby brother of the face on mars...... We must leave at once. Soon there will be 2.
76
posted on
02/03/2004 8:19:38 PM PST
by
phalynx
To: phalynx
Here's a "moving" picture . . .
77
posted on
02/03/2004 8:28:55 PM PST
by
Phil V.
To: Phil V.
The stacking may be size sorting like rocks, etc in a box.
Put a variety of different sized particles in a cotainer. Shake for a while, The largest particles migrate to the top. This is due to the smaller particles falling between the larger ones towards the bottom.
78
posted on
02/03/2004 9:37:03 PM PST
by
Wacka
To: Servant of the 9
With the little dimple in it it sure looks biological to me, bacterial or a spore. Martian (achoo!) pollen?
Either way, very cool and intriguing.
79
posted on
02/03/2004 9:48:35 PM PST
by
Ophiucus
To: Phil V.
Thanks for the ping!
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