Curiosity: Potential Anomalies (Update 01/2014)

a reply to: ArMaP

isn't it always perspective ?

funBox

originally posted by: funbox
isn't it always perspective ?

That depends on your point of view.

a reply to: this thread

While looking at the HiRISE overview map to see where Curiosity's headed, I noticed a mound with 4 notch-like depressions on top. They seem to have similar dimensions with a roughly rectangular shape:

Source Image (Overview Map)

Possibly small landslides on top of that mound? Didn't see anything similar yet on top of any other terrain elevation so far. Although it's probably nothing out of the ordinary, we might get a closer look provided that Curiosity's traverse path leads along that formation in a few sols from now.

originally posted by: jeep3r
a reply to: this thread

While looking at the HiRISE overview map to see where Curiosity's headed, I noticed a mound with 4 notch-like depressions on top. They seem to have similar dimensions with a roughly rectangular shape:

Source Image (Overview Map)

Possibly small landslides on top of that mound? Didn't see anything similar yet on top of any other terrain elevation so far. Although it's probably nothing out of the ordinary, we might get a closer look provided that Curiosity's traverse path leads along that formation in a few sols from now.

square sinkholes ,whouda thought? Good find jeeper.
Im glad curios got his skates on. I hope they go past the sphinx/alien machine just up and left of center. mars.jpl.nasa.gov...
I have seen a chemcam close up of that outcrop and it looks artificial in my humble oppinion,

originally posted by: symptomoftheuniverse
I hope they go past the sphinx/alien machine just up and left of center. mars.jpl.nasa.gov... I have seen a chemcam close up of that outcrop and it looks artificial in my humble oppinion,

Or those are just tiny impact craters with slightly collapsed rims?
Still an interesting alignment, me thinks.

Meanwhile I did a crop of that heavily eroded sphinx-like feature:


Now we're just missing a pyramid or two for that undeniable Giza-Mars connection!

a reply to: jeep3r

Meanwhile I did a crop of that heavily eroded sphinx-like feature:

Sure it's not Jabba?

a reply to: Phage

Upon second thought, you may be right ... looks like we also need to talk about a mars-tatooine connection!

originally posted by: jeep3r
a reply to: this thread

While looking at the HiRISE overview map to see where Curiosity's headed, I noticed a mound with 4 notch-like depressions on top. They seem to have similar dimensions with a roughly rectangular shape:

Source Image (Overview Map)

Possibly small landslides on top of that mound? Didn't see anything similar yet on top of any other terrain elevation so far. Although it's probably nothing out of the ordinary, we might get a closer look provided that Curiosity's traverse path leads along that formation in a few sols from now.

These are very very interesting anomalies, jeep3r.
Symmetrical shapes on the top of the hill.... Hmmmm

a reply to: jeep3r

Good find Jeep, an "anomaly" because it isn't everyday you see such a clear alignment of indentions in a row (there are hints of two more of the holes on either end of the line-up). And what is that alternating white line arrangement just to the right of the hill on the brown picture?

originally posted by: Aleister
a reply to: jeep3r
And what is that alternating white line arrangement just to the right of the hill on the brown picture?

A nice pattern of ridges: could be windblown dunes but looks more like the sloping sides of an eroded hill to me...

originally posted by: Aleister
a reply to: jeep3r

Good find Jeep, an "anomaly" because it isn't everyday you see such a clear alignment of indentions in a row (there are hints of two more of the holes on either end of the line-up). And what is that alternating white line arrangement just to the right of the hill on the brown picture?

Good eye, Aleister ... if that's the case, that'd make 3 indentions to the north and another 3 to the east. I wonder what these would look like from ground level using the MastCam? Let's hope we'll get the chance to find out in the coming days!

a reply to: jeep3r
The hill looks quite high and flat-topped so I doubt if we'll be able to see the top of it from the rover's point of view, sadly.

a reply to: Rob48

You're probably right, but perhaps the perspective will be good enough to see the top rim incl. those seemingly distinct edges (in case there are slight slopes to the north and east of that hilltop as I dare to assume) ...

Whatever the case, I guess we'll just have to wait while hoping that Curiosity keeps heading south!

a reply to: jeep3r

Trying to get my bearings here, but I think the base of the hill must be the area at the bottom of this circular pan? (Click for big version)

Pan is from www.unmannedspaceflight.com...

a reply to: Rob48

Yes, that should be the general direction and location of the hillbase. Thanks for that panorama. Here's how I see the HiRISE version corresponding to the 360 degree view:

Source Images 01 | 02

That's loosely based on the terrain details that I could make out (although I may be wrong, of course). Especially the dark & light toned areas seem to be a pretty good match with what we can see in the MRO image.

a reply to: this thread

A pattern of honeycomb-like salt deposits in a sol 632 image:

Source Image

Comparable features on Earth:
Example 1
Example 2

On Earth, such salt crystals usually form when water evaporates during extended and very hot periods. No anomaly here, but yet another indication for how similar some processes are on Mars and Earth.

a reply to: jeep3r

If proof of former water on Mars hadn't been discovered then this would be major news. Do you think they are salt deposits or some other kind of substance? I thought Gale Lake as supposed to be a freshwater lake, not a salt lake. Great find, one for the history books actually - direct proof of a lake or seabed.

a reply to: Aleister

It's natural that even a freshwater lake, when it dries, to have some salts that were removed from the rocks and ground.

The amount of salts if this was a salt lake would be much bigger.

originally posted by: jeep3r
a reply to: this thread

A pattern of honeycomb-like salt deposits in a sol 632 image:

Source Image

Comparable features on Earth:
Example 1
Example 2

On Earth, such salt crystals usually form when water evaporates during extended and very hot periods. No anomaly here, but yet another indication for how similar some processes are on Mars and Earth.

And fossilized Scales... on Curiosity Sol 631

Wow a fossilised hive! Or some old paving.
Jeepers find look more like mineral veins as they go through more than one layer of sediment which you would not expect in multiple drying events. My money is on mineral veins through giants causaway like structures.