It has not yet been announced to the world, as the first pictures arrive of the Mars rover Spirit's M�ssbauer spectrometer. Surprisingly, it has
picked up a small chunk of mars dirt more commonly known as mud...
marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov
Scientists were using the M�ssbauer spectrometer on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit when something unexpected happened. The instrument's
contact ring had been placed onto the ground as a reference point for placement of another instrument, the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, for
analyzing the soil. After Spirit removed the M�ssbauer from the target, the rover's microscopic imager revealed a gap in the imprint left behind in
the soil. The gap, about a centimeter wide (less than half an inch), is visible on the left side of this mosaic of images. Scientists concluded that a
small chunk of soil probably adhered to the contact ring on the front surface of the M�ssbauer. Before anyone saw that soil may have adhered to the
M�ssbauer, that instrument was placed to analyze martian dust collected by a magnet on the rover. The team plans to take images to see if any soil is
still attached to the M�ssbauer. Spirit took these images on the rover's 240th martian day, or sol (Sept. 4, 2004).
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More to follow I am sure. Todays pcitures have arrived an while this is not been announced you can plainly see the dirt (possible mud?) stuck to the
insturment.
This may be the first verifiable evidence of water on mars.
Interesting..
Although I'm not sure why it needs to be Mud..Could be very fine dirt/dust, which can behave like damp soil..There are also the electrostatic forces
to be considered..which can cause things to act sticky..