Interesting Mars Rock from Curiosity - Sol 744 - Drive through "Amargosa Valley"

When driving through Amargosa Valley on Sol 744 Curiosity took this ChemCam image.



Bottom left of the image there seems to be a strange formation attached to the rock. Here are some pictures of it cropped and enhanced:




It seems like it is part of the rock or connected to the rock.

Here is a link to the image at pds-geosciences.wustl.edu... It is the 7th tif up from the bottom of the page.

Here is a link to the MastCam image that gives the ChemCam image some context. mars.nasa.gov...

Are there any rock experts out there on ATS that know what this formation might be?

What does ATS think this might be.

a reply to: LookingAtMars

I am no geologist, but that looks like a loophole used to hang or tie something on to. If the image is genuine and not tampered with, it is certainly pretty interesting. I am not sure how this would appear naturally, but then again, I am no expert. Hopefully someone will have some theories on it.

As for now, that is definitely cool.

originally posted by: annoyedpharmacist
a reply to: LookingAtMars
If the image is genuine and not tampered with, it is certainly pretty interesting.

Thanks, I have a link to a 16 bit .tif on the Planetary Data System's website so if it is tampered with, NASA or someone at the PDS did it.

couldnt find an exact match, but to me it seems to look something like this. Like a bolt and loop in the rock used to attach something to it or something else.

This is embarrassing

Do any of you people know how the ChemCam actually works?

ChemCam - Wikipedia

If you think that is a loophole to hang things up then it has to be the tiniest little loop

originally posted by: MuonToGluon
Do any of you people know how the ChemCam actually works?

ChemCam - Wikipedia

If you think that is a loophole to hang things up then it has to be the tiniest one ever made in existence.

Very true What do you think it is then

a reply to: LookingAtMars

I have no idea, don't know much about geology at all, however the size of it would be little less then a mm.

I edited my post slightly from tiniest in existence to tiniest loop cause I forgot about nano tubes

a reply to: suvorov

Why would this be embarrassing, don't see any point why this abnormal structure couldn't be something important te be discovered ? If not , well then the majority here would simply dismiss it and move on.

At least give some feedback why it would be embarrassing?

This crop my show better how it seems to be part of the rock.

Could be a tiny fossil of something like a tube worm, for all we know, but what it looks like, by itself, isn't strong evidence. Small details near the limits of visibility, can look like many strange things. The human mind has a tendency to find order and form where none really exist.

originally posted by: Ross 54
Small details near the limits of visibility, can look like many strange things. The human mind has a tendency to find order and form where none really exist.

Know what you are saying but, it does not seem that close to the limits of visibility. I was thinking some kind of gas or liquid may have formed it.

a reply to: annoyedpharmacist

That is a piton and used for mountain climbing.

And that does look similar. Mountain climbing Martians??

Cool find but no idea of scale.

originally posted by: TEOTWAWKIAIFF
a reply to: annoyedpharmacist

That is a piton and used for mountain climbing.

And that does look similar. Mountain climbing Martians??

Cool find but no idea of scale.

It appears that the scale is quite small, which I initially was unaware of. Still, it is an interesting find.

It looks like a tubule exposed by erosion all around it.the hollow itself could have been formed by a non-biological systems, or perhaps even biological systems. Stuff like that has been too close to call in the past, but that's what makes those things interesting.

From the same picture - looks like an ancient tool or machine part encrusted in debris? Note the three circular markings - the top two appear quite distinct. The third one down, not so much but almost equidistant from each other.




mars.nasa.gov...

originally posted by: Phantom423
From the same picture - looks like an ancient tool or machine part encrusted in debris? Note the three circular markings - the top two appear quite distinct. The third one down, not so much but almost equidistant from each other.

mars.nasa.gov...

Or insect work.

Looks like an eroded concretion of some sort.

Original image: mars.jpl.nasa.gov...

Ok I'll say it, it's a little dude sitting cross leg with arms crossed and hair blowing in wind........a rock dude lol. .....merry christmas

It looks like a gender symbol. (sort of)..strange...