Curiosity Rover Spots Surreal Protrusions on Mars

Fresh from its discovery of a Marian doorway a few weeks ago Curiosity rover has now happened upon a couple of weird protrusions sticking up out of the ground , another interesting discovery that the chaps from SETI think they have an explanation for.

Here is another cool rock at Gale crater on Mars! The spikes are most likely the cemented fillings of ancient fractures in a sedimentary rock. The rest of the rock was made of softer material and was eroded away
www.cnet.com...

mars.nasa.gov...

a reply to: gortex

Martian termites?

Thanks , now I remember what I did with my leftover butterbean seeds .

a reply to: gortex

Weird.

It looks a bit like petrified wood.

a reply to: gortex

Looks like a Cobra.

Can we see the Martian Snake Charmer.

Drunken land octopi aaargh!

a reply to: gortex

Reminded me a bit of this pic of sand after being struck by lightning.

a reply to: gortex

the one on the right looks like the Rolls Royce winged lady

a reply to: karl 12

Cool thing mate , perhaps all the particles of dust floating around could cause enough static to produce lightning on Mars.

a reply to: gortex
It looks sort of similar to a fulgarite,which you get when lightning hits sand.

Not sure if Mars has lightning,but I would guess it does as it has wind and dust storms which generate friction-maybe enough to make an electrcal arc which could in theory melt the sand into these odd shapes.

Good find

looks like a dangling earring

originally posted by: karl 12
a reply to: gortex

Reminded me a bit of this pic of sand after being struck by lightning.

That is actually the most plausible explanation I've seen in this thread.

I wonder if NASA will read your post and revise their statement of what caused it.

originally posted by: karl 12
a reply to: gortex

Reminded me a bit of this pic of sand after being struck by lightning.

Reminds me a bit of the pic, on the avatar of a couple of members here.

Pretty sure it is somewhat, a little bit, a tad similarish, but just can't remember which member.... ?

Can't remember.... hmmmmm....

Is a returning member : a remember ?

Just a Martian stalagmite. Nothing to see here move along please.

Very cool Gortex thank you!!




Anyway to estimate the heighth of this structure by the shadows? Looks close to maybe 2 pm Martian time maybe? What day is the solstice on Mars?