Mars - Sol 676 - Black Box?

What is this black box next to this rock?
Could it really be a natural formation?

It just seems so precise and defined, but even if it was not 'Mars-made' then what could it be?

Here is the link to the image
marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov...

And here is the area with the black box on the middle right;
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/efa5c02da398.png[/atsimg]

Wow, Im no rock expert, but Ive hiked and caved and spent all my life at creek's and rivers, and NEVER have I seen a perfectly square rock! Pretty strange

It definitely looks out of the ordinary mostly because it's perfectly shaped. I'd love to know what it was. It could be an ancient device or who knows? whatever it is I sincerely doubt it's a rock.

It could be a rock. There could be cleavage planes or even mighty large crystal boundaries. We can't say for certain that it isn't, but there are many instances of these geometric rocks abounding. I've seen a good number and even gave one on my desk as a paper weight.

Natural formations can be 'precise' amd 'defined'.n
The interesting thing for me is that it is in an area where the other rocks are shaped by abrasion, i.e. ventifacts.

The only thing I can think of is some kind of crystal growth. Crystal growth is the only thing naturally occurring that could explain this except a coincidence of weathering, or an alien black box not ruined by whatever.

Rocks do ata least on earth form cubes. Mostly crystline types, ie rock salt, Pyrite.





Edited to change quartz to pyrite which is in the picture.

[edit on 7-6-2009 by vip867]

Quartz doesn't form cubic crystals however...they are more likely to be trigonal.

Minerals that crystallise into a cubic form include: halite, copper, gold, silver, platinum, iron, fluorite, leucite,diamond, garnet, spinel, pyrtie, galena and magnetite.

Then there are cleavage planes (which can occur at right angles).

I'm curious. I'm going with 'rock' at this time, but can be swayed if there is enough supporting evidence for it being anything else.

There is also volanic formations like the Giant's Causeway,
and could be on Mars somewhere.

www.360travelguide.com...

Interesting find, but it may not be a box-like rock, it could be a sharp-edged rock but not a cubic rock.

I will try to find more photos of that rock tomorrow, it's getting late here.

Here it is slightly enchanced:



It definitely doesn't look like a natural rock formation, look at the brighter edge parallel to the 'top of the box', looks like a brick.

Great find.

you beat me with the enhancement...
oh well, check out what almost looks like a cord going to the back of the box. Sure it could just be the edge of the rock that this alleged box is sitting on but almost looks like it was/or is "plugged in".

maybe (if this is something other than a rock..) that bright edge on the mentioned by the poster above is a gear/electrical box of some sort

anyways, nice find though!

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/2a459f39b151.png[/atsimg]

[edit on 7-6-2009 by spikedmilk]

That's interesting spikedmilk, I didn't notice the 'cord' at all until you pointed it out. Notice the small round hole on the box right above where the cord ends. Maybe that's where the cord plugs in.

[edit on 7-6-2009 by BlueShaman]

that easy its a crate tied to a rope,duhh LOL naw jk it reminds me of a car battery thou

In the enhaned picture by BlueShaman the top of it seems to extend past perfect squareness of say a brick, indicating like some sort of lid, like it could be opened.

Almost like there'd be a hinge, or not(maybe just a pop off cover) on the back side we can't see, and the top could flip open fromleft to right.

Very nice!

I don't think we can really make any decisions or conclusions unless we had better quality images...or we were there on Mars itself

Thats wild.....it actually looks like there is a lid too.

3d shapes are pretty common in nature. Look at all these rocks in the picture below. It's all natural even though it looks like something that was carved or made.



The way you would tell if something was created by something other than nature is it would be more complicated than a basic shape.

reply to post by badmedia


Whoa where was that pic taken? I would never think that was a natural formation!

So did Nasa even investigate that structure up close? I would venture to say that it warrants a closer look. Some of the other rocks in the area show similar traits, though not to the extent of that square.


[edit on 7-6-2009 by pavil]

It sure looks like a box of some sort to me as well. Perhaps someone from another planet system put it there or perhaps from an ancient civilization.