**AMAZING** Artifact On Mars!! Original JPL Picture source included!!

Apologise in advance for the picture sizes, didn't realise they were so big

BLAM!!!

What is the hell is THIS??!!

There can't be any 'rocks' able to form that shape?!

Looks like a 'wrench' or a flat piece of weathered 'iron'!?




Cropped from the original at JPL's website




Cropped and enhanced (if yer wanna call it that, i'm abit rubbish )




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Details:

Location: Gusev Crater

Spirit Rover

Panoramic Camera

Sol: 527
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JPLs Site: Spirit: All 112,978 Raw Images

If you want to find image yourself (i've posted the link below), simply navigate to the 'Panaromic camera' and locate Sol 527



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So, what could it be guys?? Doesn't fit any geology that Iknow off, but then im not a geologist

Here are some more DODGEY enhancements to further bring out the features of this ....thing!

So, we can CLEARLY see here; the shadow being cast underneath the object, and how 'thin' the object is.

It is fairly certain that this not an 'optical illusion' or 'paradolia' (seeing shapes in and faces in things).

Notice also that the object seems to be quite 'weathered' and....appears to be BENDING, due to its laying upon the rock. This may suggest that it has been there for quite some time?




Here we can better see its relationship to the rock, and the weathering or RUSTING becomes quite apparent.

This; in my opinion is an AMAZING object to be sitting up there on mars!!

Even if it is natural....WHAT A FORMATION




The similarities to a wrench are quite astonding. Not saying it IS a wrench (for one the handle is too flimsy) but still, VERY similar.

The even share the same protrusion made from the 'right-angle' that the 'bottom jaw' moves up and down on.



The weathered 'handle', VERY much reminds me of the braces (called a 'Chine Hoop') that you get on old wooden barrels....

Like this one..


Is it possible that something fell off the Rover? Anyone got the FOGGIEST what this might be?

Cheers guys.

Yet another mystery.....thankyou mars for the enertainment you supply, we LOVE you for it

AoN

[edit on 9-2-2009 by Anomic of Nihilism]

[edit on 9-2-2009 by Anomic of Nihilism]

Great Find!
Doesn't look like any rock I have ever seen.

Great find.... very peculiar.

I also like the skull like rock just behind it.

Mungo

reply to post by MysterE


Hi ther MysterE

Yeah, i think calling "ROCK"! is out of the question here. Im really hoping some of our resident mars experts and picture enhancers come by to share their wisdom.

I can't even BEGIN to imagine what this could be?

If it ain't off of the rover, then.......?

Cheers

AoN
.............................................................................................

Edit:

Heh yeah, i saw that 'skull rock' as well.

But i really didn't want to get dragged into one of THOSE discussions if you know what i me

"They're ALL ROCKS"!!!



Peace

AoN

[edit on 9-2-2009 by Anomic of Nihilism]

yeah very nice find indeed, that is fascinating! i know that rocks can be formed into a wide array of shapes and sizes etc., but i personally have never seen a rock that looked like that. can't wait to hear some more informed opinions about this!

Do you note the skull like formation behind the artefact you highlighted. Looks more like a statue or a mummified head.

I am pretty sure this has been discussed here. For me to recognize it, it must have - since I visit no other sites like this.

I tried searching, but I'm not sure what to search under.

waiting on Phage's post ...

atm, yea.. like how would we really know if this is an actual pic from mars...because they say so ?

Great find, i have to agree, that does not look like any rock i've ever seen. As for the skull looking thing, i do believe that's been argued in previous threads and the likely object is a rock from what i've read from fellow ATS members.

I think it will be interesting what the subject matter experts have to say about this, but it is pretty convincing, especially the shadows as well as the apparent "rust". Then again that could just be a build up of the red sand as well.

~Keeper

Originally posted by masonwatcher



Do you note the skull like formation

DAMN YOU

Now that's all i can see

Nice find!

AoN

Well it's obviously not an alien artifact or suchlike. It's, erm, martian swamp gas? a low level lenticular cloud, a trick of the light, a lens defect, spherical lens aberration, or one of the other explanations trotted out when an awkward picture crops up.

To me it sort of looks like a fossilized sort of martian fish thingymabob, then there's the skull like shape lurking in the shadows.

Spirit's movements on an around the days of this pic.

Sol 524 (June 24, 2005): Spirit completed an extremely successful drive, advancing 26 meters (85 feet).

Sol 525: On this remote sensing sol, Spirit made observations with the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer.

Sol 526: Spirit checked for dust devils with the navigation camera, took readings with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and observed the sunset with the panoramic camera.

The day the object was photographed
Sol 527: Spirit drove 22.5 meters (74 feet), evidence of successful work by rover planners.

Sol 528: Spirit executed a small drive of 2.8 meters (9 feet) to position itself to have an interesting rock target, dubbed "Franklin," within the work volume of the robotic arm.

Sol 529: The team planned a sol of using the microscopic imager, rock abrasion tool brush, and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer in preparation for the long weekend plan. However, the rock abrasion tool's contact switches didn't trip, and software responded properly by precluded the robotic arm from doing the subsequent work with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.

On June 27 (sol 527), Spirit completed another tricky drive and progressed 22.5 meters (74 feet). At this new site, scientists found an intriguing rock target they informally named "Independence Rock." Spirit will observe this layered rock with instruments on the robotic arm over the long Fourth of July weekend.

www.spaceref.com...

I can't find any pics on the web regarding this "independence rock" so i don't thik its the one we're talking about.

Cheers

[edit on 9-2-2009 by Anomic of Nihilism]

First of all, so far, I've called every single rock that's been called something else (statues, heads, skulls, fish, you name it), what it is.. a rock. And that includes the "skull" behind the object in question. It's a rock. At least imo.

Now.. the actual object.. now THAT is the FIRST thing I have seen that I don't just think "oh.. that's a rock." The very first. That is fairly amazing. It does look like it is jutting above the rock, you can see the top casting a shadow. But moreso, ALL the edges are sharp. Usually someone says "omg a house!" or "Pyramid!".. but the edges are NOT all straight. This object has all straight edges. The bottom angled edge seems to be at the same degree of angle as the top angled edge. The entire thing seems flat. There are no protrusions or bumps that would indicate it's a rock.

When I get home, will have to really check this out. This is the first thing I've seen that actually has caught my eye. It could be the weirdest shaped rock I've ever seen of course, but that's stretching the limits of believability (much like most 'objects' I see stretch it in the other direction..).

Very cool stuff.

Skull looks like MF DOOM's mask...

Seriously though, this is an awesome find. Note the bottom two-pronged section. The first thing to pop in my mind, besides it being a wrench, was how similar it looked to a crude ancient depiction of a snake. Almost like the mayan art. Example. The upper end also seems to curve and come to a point.

I have a sneaking feeling we're going to be finding a lot more 'artifacts' on mars here soon..

This is a really nice find

When I looked at the full image, the snake/wrench like object stood out very clearly compared to everything else.

It doesn't look like a rock to me but then again I'm not a geologist.

I will be the first to admit, I dont know for sure what is in the picture provided by the OP.

But so many of you seem to believe that there is no way it could be a rock. as has been said "rocks dont look like that".

That is not true though, Rocks can be in any size shape or form.

Here are a few pics of rocks to show that YES, rocks can be shaped like that.





Like I said, I do not know for sure what exactly is in that pic, but to suggest that it isnt possible that it is a rock is inaccurate and a bit naive.

Rocks can and do take on very odd shapes. Shapes that resemble animals, plants and just about anything else you could imagine.

That is the only point I am trying to make here. I am not saying that it IS a rock, but im not saying it isnt either.

what I am saying is that saying that it can't be a rock because of its odd shape is inacurrate and a tad on the naive side.

Peace and love


[edit on 9-2-2009 by gimme_some_truth]

could someone tell me how to attach a picture to my reply? I see an area to the right and below the anomalous item presented by the OP (very nice find, IMO) that I would like to point out. The object I see looks like a 3/4 view of a gear or cog like that used in the differential on my truck.

Crap...that's WHERE that wrench I lost went I bet all those sock that disappear out of my dryer could be there too?

(Just kiddin'....it looks pretty interesting I have to admit!)

reply to post by fleabit


Well said my friend

I used to call EVERYTHING a ufo/rock....then, i wiped the rapid foam from my mouth and realised...... 'chinese laterns and ROCKS'.

Only the TRUELLY unexplained are now allowed to reside in my mind.

If a 'skeptic' is saying that could be something.... I'm happy

Peace

AoN

Gimme.. I completely agree that almost (or all to this point) all rocks I've seen touted so far, could easily be normal rocks formed in interesting shapes that the human eye is used to taking in, and puts a name to it.

But this is different. For instance, all the rocks you showed have no sharp edges. They are not slender, a uniform straightness on all edges, they do not look like this at all.

I've always said.. so far, nothing we've seen could not be explained away by natural phenomona. I said if there was an actual alien artifact, it would be obvious.. you would know by looking at it. This is sort of what I had in mind.

I am going to have to search for similar formations.. but I work for company that does environmental work, and we have lots of geolgists, and lots of rocks.. and one thing I have not seen, is rocks that manages to shape themselves like that.. not ever. It does look bent. It does look thing. You can see a round-ish rock underneath it. It's fairly amazing.