Curiosity images strange metallic-looking object on Mars
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Curiosity images strange metallic-looking object on Mars
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Re: Curiosity images strange metallic-looking object on Mars
#2So that's where R2D2 ended up.
It looks almost like molten metal poured into a sand cavity, and then with the sand blown away. I guess you wouldn't get oxidation or similar activity on Mars (?), so it remains nice and shiny. I wonder how far the shape goes down, and what could have caused it?
Re: Curiosity images strange metallic-looking object on Mars
#3I'm hoping that we can just drive the rover over to take a closer look before very long. I can't guess whether this is the result of past erosion or the result of a past meteorite impact, or even some offthrow of the Curiosity landing that just appears to be embedded in the rock but really isn't. In any case, this seems like it will be educational.
Re: Curiosity images strange metallic-looking object on Mars
#4Usually I prefer not to speculate on this sort of thing, because if we just wait we'll have a ton more information soon. However, I wonder if it could be a fulgerite: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulgurite
Re: Curiosity images strange metallic-looking object on Mars
#5I find these things fun, of course some folks want to find alien technology, but I remind people that we've lost roughly 2/3rds of all the probes and ships that we've sent to Mars [1]. Since there isn't a lot of stuff covering them up, eventually we may find a bit of antenna from the Mars Observer sticking up where the spacecraft attempted to fly through the planet.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploration_of_Mars#Past_missio...
Re: Curiosity images strange metallic-looking object on Mars
#6I'm certainly not an expert on this, but I'd say the most important number to think about when looking at rover images is the scale.
"the little protuberance is probably about 0.5 cm tall, or even smaller."
Five mm is obviously tiny. Keep this in mind before making up hypotheses as to what the thing is. =) We have to wait until better data is available.
What's fascinating in itself though is that no person, however sceptical, can immediately rule out the possibility that stuff like this is some form of life or even evidence of non-human technology. Of course, such hypotheses have to work extremely hard before they should be accepted. Our standards of evidence for stuff like this must always remain as high as possible, given the emotions and mass misunderstandings involved. But the very fact that we've come this far and still cannot rule out the existence of life on Mars is quite remarkable.
Re: Curiosity images strange metallic-looking object on Mars
#7I find these things fun, of course some folks want to find alien technology, but I remind people that we've lost roughly 2/3rds of all the probes and ships that we've sent to Mars [1]. Since there isn't a lot of stuff covering them up, eventually we may find a bit of antenna from the Mars Observer sticking up where the spacecraft attempted to fly through the planet. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploration_of_Mar…
Seriously? You're implying that this is an antenna from an Earth spacecraft?
Re: Curiosity images strange metallic-looking object on Mars
#8I'm certainly not an expert on this, but I'd say the most important number to think about when looking at rover images is the scale . "the little protuberance is probably about 0.5 cm tall, or even smaller." Five mm is obviously tiny. Keep this in mind before making up hypotheses as to what the thing is. =) We have to wait until better data is available. What's fascinating in itself though is that no person, however…
One of my dearest wishes is that humanity will find solid evidence for other lifeforms in the universe (whether it is through remains or actual contact).
This moment, if/when it happens, will be so mindblowing on so many levels and affect us deeply as a society/species/etc. that I just WANT to see it.
Re: Curiosity images strange metallic-looking object on Mars
#9I'm certainly not an expert on this, but I'd say the most important number to think about when looking at rover images is the scale . "the little protuberance is probably about 0.5 cm tall, or even smaller." Five mm is obviously tiny. Keep this in mind before making up hypotheses as to what the thing is. =) We have to wait until better data is available. What's fascinating in itself though is that no person, however…
How is it any way remarkable that we haven't yet ruled out the possibility of life on Mars, given what you correctly said about the high standard of proof?
Re: Curiosity images strange metallic-looking object on Mars
#10I find these things fun, of course some folks want to find alien technology, but I remind people that we've lost roughly 2/3rds of all the probes and ships that we've sent to Mars [1]. Since there isn't a lot of stuff covering them up, eventually we may find a bit of antenna from the Mars Observer sticking up where the spacecraft attempted to fly through the planet. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploration_of_Mar…
That seems extremely unlikely. If a few dozen planes crashed on Earth (on land), how likely do you reckon you'd be to ever run across significant debris from any of them just by randomly driving around?