Curious shapes found by Curiosity on Mars

a reply to: burgerbuddy

Do you have the SOL and image number of your second image in this post?

I've seen that image before, don't remember the SOL.

Thanks for posting it, I want to see it, because it has a formation that I've seen in a different image, in the top left.

The shape that is reminiscent of the bottom of a sting ray/feather/arrowhead

I have seen that exact shape before, and it would be hard for that exact shape composition and proportion to be created only by geological processes, miles apart.

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I found this today, no idea what Sol this is, can't back-check original source without that info.

Anyone got any idea? Is this parachute?

originally posted by: Archivalist
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I found this today, no idea what Sol this is, can't back-check original source without that info.

Anyone got any idea? Is this parachute?

No idea but guessing it's way small for a chute.

That looks like this scale.

a reply to: Archivalist

This image from the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) camera on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity shows a small bright object on the ground beside the rover at the "Rocknest" site. The object is just below the center of this image. It is about half an inch (1.3 centimeters) long. The rover team has assessed this object as debris from the spacecraft, possibly from the events of landing on Mars. The image was taken on Sol 65 (Oct. 11, 2012).

a reply to: Blue Shift

all these looks like fossils to me

a reply to: Moohide

Excellent reply Moohide! Now that's science!

Always rather be proven wrong fast, than proven right slow.

I appreciate the accuracy of your post.

I investigated SOL 65 and it's MAHLI images. I still managed to find something interesting there, though not as pronounced.

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I call it, the Martian Flea.

The little black dot, outlined in green, moves!

Why significant? The image on the left is chronologically before the image on the right.

That little black dot, jumps higher in elevation.

Either the little black dot is a particle in the MAHLI lens, or the MAHLI managed to catch a piece of debris having one of the slowest falls in the history of gravity.

a reply to: Archivalist

Photos of Sol 65

After looking through the closer of the ten shots from time stamp 22:22:46 through to 22:27:21 and playing them in sequence, the first six photos are within 39 seconds of each and although they only zoom in a tiny amount, you can see a minute movement of the dot.

When it changes position with the zoom the dot only makes the most minute of movements, hard to see at just a glance or even if having a good look. But when the camera moves it is significant.

In the 3 minutes 17 seconds between the sixth and seventh photos in that sequence, the camera moves about an inch taking the dot with it to its next position on the bit of plastic. Again, a minute movement taking place with the action of the zoom.

Has to be a glitch with the camera as there are also other black dots on the same photos that move the same amount as the flea dot. Nasa really needs to get these little camera glitches sorted out. Might be the difference between something or not something one day.

You mentioned before Archivalist, about the 2 megapixel camera, "I still fail to see the logic in - > $2 billion dollar rover - > 2 megapixel camera. Sad". I 'THINK' the reason (if i remember right) for that was that they (NASA) were not to bothered about amazing HD quality or far distance views, but wanted lots of pictures, and they were more interested in the middle to near view of the photos. There is also the matter of Curiosity storing the photos on-board until they are sent back and the limited storage space (not sure how much).

Also there is the distance between Earth and Mars and the time it would take to send the photos back, and it can only send when the antennas can point in the right direction. Here is a link about the Data Rates/Returns.

a reply to: Moohide

In good news though, those were technological obstacles of it's time period.

ExoMars Mission will be an exponential improvement.

I am confident we will find living ecosystems on Mars, once Exo gets up there.

An impressive find.

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See if you can come up with a way to explain away all the anomalies in that image, I'll be impressed.

a reply to: Archivalist

Thats a very quiet and vague post for you Archie.

Whats impressive? Got any more info/details other than just 'Space Nasa GIF?, you know, like Rover, Sol, Camera?

What anomilies? Again, no details, not like you to not be telling us what to look at?

a reply to: Moohide

It's unlike you, to not know everything.

There's a psychological phenomena called "leading the witness" and "bias"

If I tell you WHAT to look for, you are more likely to see what I suggest. Thus, I suggest nothing and I did not get a SOL date or origin of this image, but it is obviously from Curiosity.

a reply to: Moohide

Sorry for entering the thread so late, but it looks like seashells embedded in the ground. There even seem to others of similar shape, but smaller size.