Why are footprints on mar's?

photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov...
there is the original named PIA04995.jpg
on the bottom right hand side u can see where the rover drove threw it.
here is a zoom of it.
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/f2f0f86bcd9a.jpg[/atsimg]

look like a footprint to me.

u can see a heal to toe foot print with maybe wearing a boot or shoe.

i know our eyes see thing's but common it's dead on a footprint.

reply to post by TheAmused


I think that might be a little to big for a footprint, if its from google mars. If its from the rover, maybe.

you will need more than a single pictue of a imperfect arch in the sand to call it a footprint.

people have a great capacity to see familiar sights in nothing/everythig. look at a cloud and you will see puppies, people, etc...look at any rocky surface and you will see faces, alien code language, etc...

these things aren't there of course, but our brain is designed for pattern recognition...and this is no different...now, show me a perfect trail of footprints and sure, then you got something...but currently, I see only a imperfect arch...(yes, I see it looks like a footprint..not blind, but for the previous reasons stated, thats meaningless)

reply to post by gandhi


the picture is off nasa's website from the rover.
didnt know Google sky had mars on it yet..

if ya look at the rock pretty close to it..id say it roughly a size 10 or 11 foot..that is not to big for a foot.

i will agree it's like clouds sometimes we see crap lol

Bu i swear i can even see where the heal is deeper..that is a clear cut footprint.

so idk lol

reply to post by TheAmused


Nice find but you will need more pictures :-\

My guess would be that they are scoop marks made by the arm that took soil samples looking for chemical makeup and signs of life. We will see what Phage says.

[edit on 2-2-2010 by butcherguy]

Unlikely.

You'll notice that it appears to be the 'right' foot. And since you can't just have ONE footprint in the middle of nowhere, we should be able to see at least part of the 'left' print at the top left of the picture if the person is walking normally.

Unless they're running.
And, unless they have feet that are backwards from humans.

And that depression just to the lower left, well it looks too small to be a matching footprint and you should see some evidence that the person may have turned around but then the marks will be different.

Try walking on a sandy beach and you'll see what I mean.

www.marstoday.com... Here are a couple of links to Mars Rover photos showing scoop marks..... one looks like the 'footprint' has toes! images.google.com... e_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBAQsAQwAA

Dear me. If you want to see something then you will... I see a dog poo in the corner Come on.

Regards

While looking at the original photo with the footprint I saw something that I think is going to be very difficult to explain.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/8bde58cde035.jpg[/atsimg]

There are two things in the image that are interesting, one could just be my imagination, however the object in the lower center of the photo looks like an exotic flower or a cup of some kind. Am I seeing things?

According to the photo information found here:
photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov...

...this image (or mosaic of many images) was one of the first images taken of Mars by Spirit. The information says the panorama was added Jan. 6, 2004 -- which is only 2 days after landing, so the pictures were taken sometime during those first two days on Mars.

That means the rover was not "roving" yet -- it did not start roving for several more days after this. The marks in question were therefore most likely left by the airbag system that protected Spirit upon landing, bouncing, and rolling to it's final resting place.

After coming to rest, the airbags were deflated, which caused the fabric of the bags to be pulled in toward the lander, creating odd scrapes and depressions, like this:

marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov...

The marks that you see could be caused by the airbags -- either as the lander was rolling to a stop, or after it stopped and the bags deflated.

EDIT TO ADD:
...in fact, I believe this is the same mark in question (but viewed from a different angle). The surrounding rocks match up. I'll do a comparison on photoshop and get back to you...

Originally posted by butcherguy
www.marstoday.com... Here are a couple of links to Mars Rover photos showing scoop marks..... one looks like the 'footprint' has toes! images.google.com... e_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBAQsAQwAA

The Mars Rovers do not have scoops. The information you posted is from the "Phoenix" Lander.

[edit on 2/2/2010 by Soylent Green Is People]

[edit on 2/2/2010 by Soylent Green Is People]

what will Phage say? He'll tell you that it's natural and not footprints...

Who is Phage?

look like a footprint to me.

somebody has to go out and clean the rover's solar panels every year.

Originally posted by butcherguy
My guess would be that they are scoop marks made by the arm that took soil samples looking for chemical makeup and signs of life. We will see what Phage says.

[edit on 2-2-2010 by butcherguy]

LOL you will wait to see what Phage says?
WOW!
Why don't you try to think for yourself?
Phage is not in any way, shape or form the end all and I think he would agree with that based on his analytical thought process.

Ok -- I'm back.

As promised, I will show that the odd mark that looks like a footprint in the OP's picture is probably a "drag mark" caused by the deflating airbag, or a depression left by the bag when the lander rolled to a stop.

Or -- and this may be more likely -- perhaps the foot-shaped depression (which is tiny, by the way) was a place in which a small rock was sitting until the airbag disturbed the rock and moved it, leaving behind the "footprint".
(perhaps it was one of the small rocks near the item that I marked as "A" in the labeled image below).

Here is another angle of that same mark. From this angle, the part that looked like a footprint does not anymore:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/9d5f28dabee6.jpg[/atsimg]
(Original Image Here)

Here is a comparison showing that these are in fact two pictures of the same thing (open the image to see the whole thing):

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/2a95de790ae4.jpg[/atsimg]
(Full Image Here)


Here's another image that is closer to the same angle as the OP's image:
marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov...



[edit on 2/2/2010 by Soylent Green Is People]

reply to post by TheAmused


BECAUSE it's Big Foot on Mars!

Originally posted by SEEWHATUDO

Originally posted by butcherguy
My guess would be that they are scoop marks made by the arm that took soil samples looking for chemical makeup and signs of life. We will see what Phage says.

[edit on 2-2-2010 by butcherguy]

LOL you will wait to see what Phage says?
WOW!
Why don't you try to think for yourself?
Phage is not in any way, shape or form the end all and I think he would agree with that based on his analytical thought process.

I believe I made a statement regarding my thoughts on the matter in the OP. I don't believe I saw anything that you posted relating to the topic. My point would be that you might want to think for yourself, it would seem that you are trying to think for me! I said ''We will see what Phage says." You inferred that I believe that Phage is the end all, I did not say it or believe it. WOW! Why don't you tell us what YOU think caused the marks?

[edit on 3-2-2010 by butcherguy]

Originally posted by Soylent Green Is People

 

Originally posted by butcherguy
www.marstoday.com... Here are a couple of links to Mars Rover photos showing scoop marks..... one looks like the 'footprint' has toes! images.google.com... e_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBAQsAQwAA

The Mars Rovers do not have scoops. The information you posted is from the "Phoenix" Lander.

[edit on 2/2/2010 by Soylent Green Is People]

[edit on 2/2/2010 by Soylent Green Is People]

Thanks for the info, I stand corrected.

[edit on 3-2-2010 by butcherguy]