Mystery Rock 'Appears' in Front of Mars Rover

lostgirl
Can you do this with the 'before' picture so we can compare? (your picture really clarifies that area)

Unfortunately, there aren't any photos from the right filters to make an RGB image (L4, L5 and L6), so I had to use the photos from the other filters (L2, L5 and L7).

(click for full size)


But I thought it would be easier if I adjusted the image to make the colours look closer to those of the "after" photo.

(click for full size)

muzzleflash
Alright after reading a bit, I am going with meteorite at this point.

I don't think so, as it doesn't have any signs of heat or signs of and impact (as it should be, if it was a meteorite) and it doesn't look like it was broken recently (as it should if it was part of a meteorite).

funbox
reply to post by ArMaP

 

a much better picture Armap, kinda looks like a geode to me, etheir that or an egg got broken and theres a nest of angry baby snakes

funBox

But our earth seashells are made of calcium bicarbonate

reply to post by Char-Lee


Exactly what I was thinking.
Trying to find a mineral that is composed of sulfur, magnesium and manganese to see what it would look like. No luck yet. But there is one called alabandite that is crystalline in nature that is composed of sulfur and manganese. Could be a geode I guess but it sure looks like a sea shell to me.


ETA: What are the chances that the magnesium, manganese, and sulfur are the different minerals on the bottom of the "shell", and the pearl part is precisely that, a calcium carbonate?

reply to post by funbox


A rock this size doesn't have to leave a crater, considering the gravity of Mars is supposedly a third of so of Earth's (you can correct that if it's wrong). Although the atmosphere shielding isn't so great on Mars, but still.

Even on Earth there are cases of meteorites that didn't create a very noticeable impact markings.
I am willing to say no two events are alike, they are all unique in terms of physics of entry and impact etc.
Consider what if this rock came down and tumbled before coming to a rest here?

So I am saying :
It is still possible this is either the entire meteorite or a fragment of a slightly larger one that impacted nearby and shattered.
The lack of known associated cratering is not evidence against such a proposition automatically.

"Sulfur, Manganese, Magnesium" etc ??
That seems to be aligned with possible meteorite compositions, although perhaps rare.

It's possible I think.

muzzleflash
reply to post by funbox

 

A rock this size doesn't have to leave a crater, considering the gravity of Mars is supposedly a third of so of Earth's (you can correct that if it's wrong). Although the atmosphere shielding isn't so great on Mars, but still.

Even on Earth there are cases of meteorites that didn't create a very noticeable impact markings.
I am willing to say no two events are alike, they are all unique in terms of physics of entry and impact etc.
Consider what if this rock came down and tumbled before coming to a rest here?

So I am saying :
It is still possible this is either the entire meteorite or a fragment of a slightly larger one that impacted nearby and shattered.
The lack of known associated cratering is not evidence against such a proposition automatically.

"Sulfur, Manganese, Magnesium" etc ??
That seems to be aligned with possible meteorite compositions, although perhaps rare.

It's possible I think.

I saw a pic on Facebook once, or maybe it was here even, of a meteorite that landed in the desert and left NO impact crater whatsoever. Of course it was the size of a marble and this is substantially larger, but still...

Also, alabandite is found in meteorites sometimes. It could be a meteorite. It could also be a fragment of a geode.

My best guess/idea to throw out there is...

Where is the oxidation? Mars is a rusty looking place. Whats with the striking colour change to silver/grey?

So I propose that it is perhaps some kind of stress-shatter incident where a chunk of frozen ice (co2) slowly built pressure and "cracked" off a fresh piece of surrounding rock that was perhaps somehow embedded within? Hence the half silver/half rusty look.

Interesting nonetheless!

(also, I like the idea of an extremely thin atmosphere resulting in a deluge of meteor activity)

added the color photo on the black and white rock absent photo, those with epilepsy may want to look away



funBox

Blister
reply to post by smurfy

 

The popularly accepted options for the appearance of the "Pinnacle Island" are namely (a) caused by Opportunity's wheels dislodging it, and (b) as crater ejecta.

There are other potential explanations, such as it rolled to the position having moved from an uphill position without external interference; Martians put it there; it landed there as a meteorite; etcetera.

Whilst I can and do subscribe to some or a few as yet unproven theories with regard to Mars, I feel that option (a) represents the best explanation. Just my opinion.

(1) "The popularly accepted options for the appearance of the "Pinnacle Island" are namely (a) caused by Opportunity's wheels dislodging it, and (b) as crater ejecta."

(4) I've already said that.

(2) "There are other potential explanations, such as it rolled to the position having moved from an uphill position without external interference; Martians put it there; it landed there as a meteorite; etcetera."
(2) Feck the Martians, I didn't even intimate that. no need for condescenson. The link did however give the information that a rolling down was not on the cards, so that's rubbish too.
Thanks though for the update on the compostion of the rock itself.

reply to post by grey580


yes. this is absolute proof, that people at nasa have way to much time on they're hands and too many tax payer dollars available to them. the part that gets me? the "rock" is sitting right at the foot of the lawn mower sorry, "rover" and yet the "rover" has absolutley no way of telling us stupid monkeys what that "mystery" rock could be, aside from the fact it is just a video artifact! talk about getting the most for your money? or talk about getting fleeced by science guys big time. the short answer? who doesn't love fleece ! apparently, the martians do to !

It looks to me like a hollow geode that has been broken open. The difference of color could possibly be due to crystal growth that was inside the geode. Anyway very interesting!

reply to post by smurfy


Forgive me for asking then, what were you trying to say? To be honest I'm not sure. Sorry.

reply to post by muzzleflash


my apologies, but in the other pictures , the black and white one it doesn't appear there, it could be a meteorite, I wonder if the curiosity remember to pack its magnet to give it a test, I just have difficulty in seeing it falling from the sky and landing in that spot, dam how fast do meteorites go again?, this one must have had air breaks and a parachute

funBox

funbox
reply to post by muzzleflash

 

my apologies, but in the other pictures , the black and white one it doesn't appear there, it could be a meteorite, I wonder if the curiosity remember to pack its magnet to give it a test, I just have difficulty in seeing it falling from the sky and landing in that spot, dam how fast do meteorites go again?, this one must have had air breaks and a parachute

funBox

It just depends, man. I mean if it is a meteorite, it is obviously just a fragment, which would indicate an air burst. Which means that it theoretically could have fallen at the regular speed of any falling object on Mars, which would be slower than Earth.

Combine that with the fact that the rock is small you could easily have a rock just drop in without a single hint of how it got there. Not even an impact crater. Besides, it happens even here on Earth with a more significant gravity well.

jeenyus2008
Kind of creepy if you ask me. I mean, compare the two photos. The rock appears out of nowhere. Surely if the rover's dragging wheel scraped it up you wouldn't be able to see the ground hasn't changed under the 'rock' from before.?? If you scan the areas in close proximity, all of the rocks of decent size haven't changed, or been moved. This is so odd...

are you sugesting that someone knocked all the scenery because its in a warehouse in alaska?

reply to post by ArMaP

Thank you for doing that , it does make for some clarification...I can see now it was more a sort of an optical illusion…and the rock is actually just a bit off-side of the 'shape' I 'thought' I was seeing...

reply to post by JayinAR


not even a skid mark , the patterns before it was there, are undisturbed.. the little pebbles seem unperturbed by there new neighbour, if it is a space rock , I got to say , its parking is fantastic, in the close up you can see the little snakes all getting excited at seeing there relatives

funBox

reply to post by funbox


Well I doubt its a space rock myself, but yes it is possible. Without so much as a skid mark.

Another possibility is that it is a fragment of a geode and for whatever reason it had ice water inside of it. Then it literally burst apart.

I personally think think it is a geode or a sea shell. I really really hope it is a sea shell, but I am leaning towards geode with an alabandite type crystalline mineral inside.


PS,

To add to that, you need to review the first photos that user name blister posted. The shiny material leaves a trail. Whatever that is flaked off in the process of relocating to where it now sits.

The rover wheels explanation makes perfect sense. I mean they even located the rock in its previous location.

The only real question now is the rock's composition because it is unusual in both appearance and composition.

reply to post by funbox


That's great ! Now I can see it just looks like a random shaping of pebbles and dust giving the impression of the triangular 'mark' and the rock isn't even fully 'within' the shape...

Now a few thoughts come up on trying to establish a reasonable explanation.

One is, that as the rover past the subject on the first photo, it kicked out a piece of material under one of it's wheels, which landed there to be captured by the second picture..... A likely scenario.

The other is that there was some kind of "ground disturbance" that shook the rock loose and it tumbled to where it now sits. Marsquake doubtful, meteorite strike doubtful, but possible.

Finally, every rock we see in every picture sits where it does for some reason. Imagine how many there are!

What is really interesting, is that there do not appear to be any other small pebbles, or sand/powder that is disturbed. A really great case for the geology team for sure.