Appearance of mystery rock alongside Mars rover Opportunity has tongues wagging

[n2doc]

SILICON-based alien life form? Projectile hurled by little-green men? What's the fuss? A shiny rock has mysteriously materialised alongside the Mars Opportunity rover.

Admittedly, the rover has just woken up after hibernating through the Martian winter since November.

When scientists compared before-and-after photos of the ground immediately around the robotic explorer, something was out of place.

A stone.


Not just any stone, it would seem.

It's been given the grand name "Pinnacle Island".

It has caused something of a stir among online communities.


more

http://www.couriermail.com.au/technology/science/appearance-of-mystery-rock-alongside-mars-rover-opportunity-has-tongues-wagging/story-fnjwlbuh-1226803349096

[GeorgeGist]

1. Looks 'man made'...

[longship]

2. Cuing Richard C. Hoagland...

Can't wait to hear his kookery about this.

Not!

[rgbecker]

3. Looks like an old oyster shell.

[Kablooie]

10. The proper term is "Jelly Donut" according to JPL.

[Jerry442]

21. Occam's razor -- it's a jelly donut.

Accidentally dropped by one of the techs on the set at Area 51 where this is all being filmed. You have to admire JPL's chutzpah, "hiding in plain sight."

[DetlefK]

4. Shoot it with the mass-spectrometer! Shoot it now!

[Wounded Bear]

5. We need to declare war on Mars...

They have no right to throw rocks at our rovers.

[Johonny]

11. I second this

[deutsey]

6. Watch out...

[TexasProgresive]

7. Why is the photo on the right zoomed in?

[defacto7]

8. Fascinating!

But has anyone noticed there is a what looks to me like a perfectly round orange circle completely surrounding it? The circle is there before AND after! Then it suddenly disappears when the camera zooms in! That has me quite concerned!

[Tyrs WolfDaemon]

14. I think the orange circle is what is left from the wormhole that opened up...

and deposited the unknown object there.

We must not declare war on Mars, we must find the other end of this wormhole. They are the ones that 'threw' that thing at our rover.

[defacto7]

15. We must have restraint...

Who knows what wickedness this way comes. I am reticent... reticent I say.

[Kablooie]

9. I saw Steve Squyres present this tonight at the MER 10th anniversary presentation.

They suspect it is a bit of flotsam kicked up by the rover's wheels but they are still investigating.

The chemical composition is dramatically different from anything else they've found on Mars.

[sylvanus]

12. I think it's ice of some sort

It's liquid or gas, that has pushed up thru the rock and froze.
The rover shut down for winter.
Kinda like this...

&w=2800&h=1867&ei=i_TaUqnbKomTkQfB6YDIAQ&zoom=1&ved=0CFYQhBwwAA&iact=rc&dur=1&page=1&start=0&ndsp=25

[Yo_Mama]

18. Probably an ice/dust conglomeration n/t

[jakeXT]

13. it has too much sulfur, magnesium and manganese, scientists say.

The rock that suddenly appeared next to the NASA’s Opportunity rover in the beginning of January turns out to have an irregular chemical composition for Mars: it has too much sulfur, magnesium and manganese, scientists say.

In particular, the rock has twice as much manganese as anything that previously analyzed on Mars.

http://rt.com/news/mars-rock-rover-opportunity-847/

[daleo]

16. Possibly a Horta

We need Doctor McCoy.

[jakeXT]

17. I believe it when it disappears again. /nt

[Brother Buzz]

19. If that ain't a gum wrapper, it's a chunk of hashish wrapped in foil

Some NASA worker has some 'splainin' to do

[Baclava]

20. not as sexy as magic rocks - but on Day 2 Opportunity climbs a mountain