Posted on 02/24/2004 11:26:05 AM PST by NormsRevenge
LOS ANGELES -
Microscopic photographs of a Mars rock taken by NASA (news - web sites)'s Opportunity rover have triggered excitement among scientists, even if they aren't unanimous on exactly what they're seeing.
The images, posted on Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars rovers Web site, show a highly detailed surface on a rock dubbed "El Capitan" that has been undergoing examination by the robot geologist.
"They are just very beautiful things and it's not at all clear that we understand what we're looking at," mission official Rob Manning said in a teleconference with reporters on Monday.
"There is a lot of enthusiasm, probably as much enthusiasm as we've ever had by the science team and a lot of intense discussions over these last several days."
The $820 million mission of Opportunity and the twin rover Spirit is aimed at finding geologic evidence that dusty, frigid Mars was once a wetter place where life could have taken hold.
"El Capitan" was designated the top target for close-up study after a general assessment of the outcropping from a distance. The layered rock generated debate about whether it was formed volcanically, by deposition of sediments, or involved mineral growth or wind-created structures.
"Once we got close, the images are much more striking, and although the science team is very reluctant to make any decisions about what they're looking at, there's a lot of information in the pictures they've been looking at," Manning said.
It was not certain when scientists would comment on their findings. A teleconference was set for Tuesday and the next formal press conference was scheduled for Thursday at JPL in Pasadena.
Manning predicted that Opportunity would spend "a fair amount of time" at the outcrop before leaving the area to search for other sites to explore in an area known as Meridiani Planum.
"There's just too much excitement, too much to see," he said.
On the other side of Mars in Gusev crater, Spirit had left a trench it dug last week for study of subsurface soil and was en route to a new site dubbed "Middle Ground."
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On the Net:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov
Microscopic images: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/opportunity_m029.html
 This is a microscopic photograph of a Mars rock taken by NASA (news - web sites)'s Opportunity rover that has triggered excitement among scientists. This image, posted on the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars rovers Web site, shows a highly detailed surface on a rock, dubbed 'El Capitan,' that has been undergoing examination by the robot geologist. Scientists weren't ready to say where the observations are leading their speculation, a mission official said Monday. (AP Photo/NASA/JPL) |
NASA (news - web sites) scientists are excitedly speculating that discoveries made by a Mars rover over the weekend will help them finally unravel whether water played a role in the Red Planet's geologic history, a science team member said on February 23, 2004. Shown is a composite red-green-blue image of the rock called White Boat, taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit and released by NASA February 15, 2004. It is the first rock target that Spirit drove to after finishing a series of investigations on the rock Adirondack. (NASA/JPL/Cornell/USGS (news - web sites) via Reuters)
This image taken by the microscopic imager instrument located on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows the crater floor at Meridiani Planum, Mars, before the rover dug a trench(AFP/NASA (news - web sites)/JPL)
Scientists Say Mars Rock "Boring as Hell"
LOS ANGELES -
Photographs of a Mars rock taken by NASA's Opportunity rover have triggered yawns among scientists, even if they aren't unanimous on exactly what they're seeing.
"They're like watching paint dry," mission official Rob Roy said in a teleconference with reporters on Monday. "My grandmother in Arizona has acres of rocks like these in her back yard."
Mission Specialist Sandy Eggo mirrored that sentiment. "It's, like, so dull. Not even one little green Martian running around. Just red crap everywhere."
The $820 million mission of Opportunity and the twin rover Spirit is aimed at finding geologic evidence that dusty, frigid Mars was once a wetter place where life could have taken hold. But scientists may lose interest before that happens.
Scientists are genetically incapable of losing interest while there is still a measurement that may be taken. Robotics PIC programmers are just as intense since NASA has its new mission of robotic and human exploration. Before they are done, we will have a computer simulation of every pebble on Mars and the moon.
How do they feel about the Hip-Hop?
I rekkon it's kinda like my first backseat neckin' experience with Betty Sue back in freshman year...
Would be ironic if the spherules turn out to be...crap, crap, crap.
Of course, Sir or Madam. All rocks are officially registered at three places: U.S. Copyright Office (as you indicated), U.S. Bureau of Geology, and NASA*. You will be sent a picture of your rock.
*Offer only valid through Eternity. You have first legal claim on this item. Name may not be honored in alternate universe(s).
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