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Martians Are Throwing Rocks At NASA's Rover
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Libertarian4life
January 20, 2014, 5:10pm Report to Moderator

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Nasa says Mars mystery rock that ‘appeared’ from nowhere is ‘like nothing we’ve seen before’

Rock like a ‘jelly doughnut’ has left scientists ‘completely confused’
Adam Withnall Author Biography

Sunday 19 January 2014
          


A mysterious rock which appeared in front of the Opportunity rover is "like nothing we've ever seen before", according to Mars exploration scientists at Nasa.

Experts said they were "completely confused" by both the origins and makeup of the object, which is currently being investigated by Opportunity's various measuring instruments.

Astronomers noticed the new rock had "appeared" without any explanation on an outcrop which had been empty just days earlier. The rover has been stuck photographing the same region of Mars for more than a month due to bad weather, with scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California monitoring the images it sends.

Nasa issued a Mars status report entitled "encountering a surprise", and lead Mars Exploration rover scientist Steve Squyres told a JPL event it seems the planet literally "keeps throwing new things at us".

He said the images, from 12 Martian days apart, were from no more than a couple of weeks ago. "We saw this rock just sitting here. It looks white around the edge in the middle and there’s a low spot in the centre that's dark red - it looks like a jelly doughnut.

"And it appeared, just plain appeared at that spot - and we haven't ever driven over that spot."

Images captured by Opportunity show the mysterious rock 'appeared' on an outcrop that had been empty just 12 Martian days ('Sols') earlier Images captured by Opportunity show the mysterious rock 'appeared' on an outcrop that had been empty just 12 Martian days ('Sols') earlier Squyres said his team had two theories on how the rock got there - that there's "a smoking hole in the ground somewhere nearby" and it was caused by a meteor, or that it was "somehow flicked out of the ground by a wheel” as the rover went by.

"We had driven a metre or two away from here, and I think the idea that somehow we mysteriously flicked it with a wheel is the best explanation," Squyres said.

Yet the story got even stranger when Opportunity investigated further. Squyres explained: "We are as we speak situated with the rover's instruments deployed making measurements of this rock.

"We've taken pictures of both the doughnut and jelly parts, and the got the first data on the composition of the jelly yesterday.

"It's like nothing we've ever seen before," he said. "It's very high in sulphur, it's very high in magnesium, it's got twice as much manganese as we've ever seen in anything on Mars.

"I don't know what any of this means. We're completely confused, and everyone in the team is arguing and fighting (over what it means).

"That's the beauty of this mission... what I've realised is that we will never be finished. There will always be something tantalising, something wonderful just beyond our reach that we didn't quite get to - and that's the nature of exploration."

Squyres was speaking at an event marking the 10th anniversary of the arrival of Opportunity and Spirit on the surface of Mars.

While Spirit lost contact with Earth and was later declared "dead" in 2010, Opportunity has now roamed the planet far in excess of what was originally planned as a three-month mission. Nasa said that with its maximum speed of just 0.05mph, as of "Sol 3547" (15 January 2014) Opportunity had covered just over 24 miles (38km).
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senders
January 20, 2014, 6:51pm Report to Moderator
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...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......

The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.


STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS

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sanfordy2
January 20, 2014, 7:43pm Report to Moderator

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jelly doughnuts on mars... now that's too cool....who can say till we get a man there ...anyways dunkins should be all over this as an advertising blitz!!  
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Libertarian4life
January 20, 2014, 7:53pm Report to Moderator

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Quoted from sanfordy2
jelly doughnuts on mars... now that's too cool....who can say till we get a man there ...anyways dunkins should be all over this as an advertising blitz!!  


They explain it away as a possible meteorite.

The odds of a meteorite landing in front of the only camera on mars without leaving a dent is unmeasurable.

Or maybe it was a rock they drove over?

They don't have video of the approach when they drove there?

Maybe the Martian bigfoot is pranking NASA.


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CICERO
January 20, 2014, 8:13pm Report to Moderator

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It think the rock was caused by fracking.


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sanfordy2
January 20, 2014, 8:15pm Report to Moderator

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"The odds of a meteorite landing in front of the only camera on mars without leaving a dent in unmeasurable." you really nailed it..this brings more questions than answers
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Libertarian4life
January 20, 2014, 8:28pm Report to Moderator

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I'm hoping in a few days the rock moves to another spot.

Very slow moving Martian rock people.
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HarryP
January 20, 2014, 9:15pm Report to Moderator

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Oh boy, more conspiracy theories.

You all thrive on this stuff, don't you?


We are advised NOT to judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics.   Funny how that works.
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joebxr
January 20, 2014, 9:28pm Report to Moderator

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Quoted from Libertarian4life
I'm hoping in a few days the rock moves to another spot.

Very slow moving Martian rock people.

The guys from HESS will turn it over just to PUNISH YOU!!!


JUST BECAUSE SISSY SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO...BUT HE THINKS IT DOES!!!!!  
JUST BECAUSE MC1 SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO!!!!!  
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Libertarian4life
January 21, 2014, 2:32am Report to Moderator

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Quoted from HarryP
Oh boy, more conspiracy theories.

You all thrive on this stuff, don't you?



Apparently you haven't seen the movie Apollo 18.

Here, let me spoil it for you.

On the moon they find that life exists as rocks.


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Henry
January 21, 2014, 4:02am Report to Moderator

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Don't think its a meteorite, the small stones right next to it are not disturbed at all, maybe its like the mysterious sailing stones of death valley


"In the beginning of a change, the Patriot is a scarce man, brave, hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a Patriot."

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senders
January 21, 2014, 4:24am Report to Moderator
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mars turtle


...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......

The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.


STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS

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joebxr
January 21, 2014, 5:38am Report to Moderator

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It's Amazon drone making delivery!


JUST BECAUSE SISSY SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO...BUT HE THINKS IT DOES!!!!!  
JUST BECAUSE MC1 SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO!!!!!  
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sanfordy2
January 21, 2014, 10:11am Report to Moderator

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Quoted from HarryP
Oh boy, more conspiracy theories.

You all thrive on this stuff, don't you?


yes,correct...jpl rocket scientists and nasa have no clue so its anyone's guess...    imagination is a gift i like to use


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Libertarian4life
January 21, 2014, 11:09am Report to Moderator

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Quoted from Henry
Don't think its a meteorite, the small stones right next to it are not disturbed at all, maybe its like the mysterious sailing stones of death valley


If you compare the two photos closely, the rock that appeared is sitting on top of a few small stones shown in the other picture.


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