Opportunity Rover finds Dome

a reply to: Mastronaut

Great detective work, thanks for this.

Unfortunately, even the HiRISE imagery doesn't reveal much more than a small "pimple". Given the 26.9 cm/pixel resolution ( hirise.lpl.arizona.edu... ) it can't be more than a couple of meters wide.

a reply to: wildespace

Unless it's posited as an entrance to an underground complex then, I'm afraid that's looking like the nail in the coffin on this being anything other than a rock.

originally posted by: skyblueworld
I also live in a dream world to which I know and doubt it will be possible to demand such a thing.

Oh We can demand all we want. Whether or not 'They' respond to Our Demands, is another completely different story... LOL!!
It would be nice though to see some 'Professional' Scrutiny here...
Like some of the other Anomaly Threads, This one is also very intriguing!!!...

originally posted by: Eilasvaleleyn
a reply to: wildespace

Unless it's posited as an entrance to an underground complex then, I'm afraid that's looking like the nail in the coffin on this being anything other than a rock.

Of course, one can dream of this being an entrance to an underground Transformers facility that are waiting their moment to reveal themselves unto the world. Or an underground Alien hatchery. But those are just dreams, and not at all anything like the "final nail on the coffin". Sorry.

a reply to: wildespace

What I meant was that those thinking it was the containment dome for some sort of artificial habitat will now think it is a rock, unless they decide to change their opinion to it being an entrance to a larger complex.

I don't understand what you think I meant? I was saying that this was a nail in the coffin for this being something that is not a rock. That is, this is almost certainly a rock now.

a reply to: Mastronaut

Nice work! How are you able to tell what direction the rover is facing when taking a series of photos?

Cheers.

a reply to: Eilasvaleleyn
Yep, I completely mis-read your post. Blame that on vodka!

originally posted by: jpants
a reply to: Mastronaut

Nice work! How are you able to tell what direction the rover is facing when taking a series of photos?

Cheers.

I had to guess by using SOL 3923 and SOL 3965 panoramas. They are more or less in line towards the crater and only after watching both those compositions and comparing to Google Mars (very approximate) height map I could start figuring out the dimensions of the area.
We always lack some reference object for scale, but things on Mars are rather smaller than we generally think.

I had a hard time believing that the round object on the map was that pile shown at 4005/4006 location. After I had a grasp idea of the area it became faster to recognize reference objects and compare the locations on the Opportunity's traverse map. The areas I drew are a rough approximation, just to give a feel (I mostly cared about refining the angle close to the "dome").

It was long but fun after all and I'll probably be much faster in the future) (I'm already going for the crab one)

a reply to: Mastronaut

The knowlegeable people at the Unmanned Spaceflight forum have confirmed this: www.unmannedspaceflight.com...

A small dome-like formation. Have there been any images of it from closer up?

a reply to: wildespace

The rover seems to get out of line of sight of the dome after 4200sh, I guess the closest image is the igloo.

Is everyone going to ignore the fact that it's built on a slope... and not level. If this was some sort of tent or structure it would have been at least built level or on level ground. Right now I am guessing it's a natural phenomenon.

I would say that it was a rock formation. If it were a structure then it would be built at the hands of recent visitors to Mars, probably within the last few millenia at the longest stretch. The next question would be what is the size of it and are there other photos of the area that can serve as secondary confirmation that it is truly an unnatural dome.

originally posted by: AdmireTheDistance

originally posted by: tonycodes
I think its so funny that the rover just never gets a close shot of any of this stuff lol we sent it there for close up of this kind of stuff, not distance shots lol great find! we all paid alot for the rover in taxes right? i want to drive it for a day lol

Curiosity has many missions, none of which are to take close-up photographs of 'this kind of stuff'. If NASA were to divert it off its' scheduled course to get closer to (and photograph) every unusual looking or reflective rock it comes across, then it would never achieve any of its' goals.

Well, the entire human race thinks Nasa's goals are boring and stupid.

Trying to prove the current theory of evolution with a freaking robot is stupid.

How about forget the narratives presented and just explore, and stop wasting trillions of dollars doing NOTHING.

Freaking rock collectors is all they are ?!!??

originally posted by: ParasuvO
Well, the entire human race thinks Nasa's goals are boring and stupid.

You don't speak for the entire human race.

a reply to: ParasuvO

Actually, you don't speak for me. I am a protagonist when it comes to supporting NASAs initiatives. I also feel they do operate with an agenda from inside our own government, that is it necessarily clear to those not in the organization or on the fringes of our visible national interests. If we as a race, the human race is going to survive now, tomorrow, next year or through the next millennia, survival begins with the missions of NASA.

Much like the subject of this thread or any other here on ATS there will always be protagonists and antagonists, dreamers and debunkers. Each needs to accept the opinions of the other and agree to disagree because I guarantee you at some point each of us will be on the other side of an argument or view.

Perhaps I'm off track and subjecting another thread not sure what came over me.

OVER and OUT

originally posted by: VoidHawk

originally posted by: Klassified
a reply to: bkfd54

What's that to the right of it?

Looks like the top of a Dalek!!!

"Exterminate exterminate..."

It looks like a Shop-Vac!

Could be an "exfoliation dome" www.ougseurope.org...

Exfoliation domes are one of the more spectacular results of rock relaxation, which is the result of the removal of overburden by erosion.

(and not, as some might think, the result of exfoliating your bald head)

a reply to: bkfd54

Can anyone find an overhead shot of this area from NASA? Isn't there a version of Google Earth using Mars satellite photos?

originally posted by: hubrisinxs
The Pic from NASA itself

My wife, a trained geologist, said it looks like an old river bed that the rover is in. It is quite possible that is a large rounded river stone. The shiny reflection is because it has got some reflective metal inside it.

No civilization on Mars. At best some fish and small animals, more than likely there were only simple bacteria.

So, the nice, rounded river stone is up on a rise, and the stones in what would have to be the river bed are all rough?

I don't need to be a trained geologist to know that doesn't make any sense.

originally posted by: andrewh7
a reply to: bkfd54

Can anyone find an overhead shot of this area from NASA? Isn't there a version of Google Earth using Mars satellite photos?

Erm, that's exactly what we've been talking about on this and previous page. Here's one overhead image: hirise.lpl.arizona.edu...

At 26.9 cm/pixel resolution, that dome appears as a tiny "pimple". I'm gonna have a look for other images of that are and see if different sun-angle and shadows give a better idea about it.

[Edit] Out of the bunch of images, I think this is the clearest one: hirise.lpl.arizona.edu...

(magnified x4)


It's clearly an oval object rather than circular.