Mars Rover Opportunity's weird events, lumber found on mars and a distant possible monolith like st

Before I post this, I'm not sure if it has been shown here on ATS or not.
I've come across a photo on the marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov site of one of the snap shots that have been taken on the mars mission. there are a few funny looking abnormalities in the image...

To the left of the rover there appears to be a peice of lumber. The question would be "How did it get there?" It is said that "no one at NASA can explain this". Also above the peice of "lumber" there seems to be some sort of "structure" in the distance. I've opened this image with photoshop and zoomed in as far as i could but I can't seem to make out what it is, it sure doesn't look natural to me (although it sort of reminds me of a giant fire ploom coming from an oil field). I can't make 'heads or tails' of it anyway. I've added a link to the photo at the bottom of this post

The Rover Opportunity has also been getting some sort of cosmic carwash service on Mars... "the unexplained cleaning events have kept Opportunity's solar panels operating close to their maxiumum daily output of 900 watt-hours. Due to a previous accumulation of Martian dust, which is heavy and dense, output had dropped to 500 watt-hours per day. The output of Mars Spirit's solar panels, which are not getting cleaned, have dropped to 400 watt-hours per day. ," NASA rover team leader Jim Erickson as saying.

NASA has no explanation for the cleaning.

\source - http...://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html \


Mars Rover Photo

If anyone has any opinions, thoughts or more information on what has been posted above, I would be very excited to listen (read).

edit:Infact I think it's an old photo of the landing site.



[edit on 30-8-2010 by pazcat]

Here is an explanation for your plank of "wood"

www.universetoday.com...

reply to post by Super Chubby


It's a ROCK.

A stone.

I woulda thought someone would have pointed out the apparent "flagstone pavers" in the photo....looks like someone made a patio floor there.

( Uh oh...hope that doesn't start something....I enjoy my privacy up there, don't want a lot of visitors stopping by, nosing around... )

That "piece of wood" has been explained as a rocks edge. Google "wood on mars" there are many sources.

The cleaning of the solar panels is new to me, I wonder how strong the winds are on Mars?

I got this pic from the Spirit rover at the Bonneville Crater. To me it looks like wood. Sand drifts as high as the rocks! So there must be wind there, right?

I'd like to know whats reflecting the speck of light in the top left hand corner.

reply to post by Super Chubby


I looked at the piece of wood like material and almost feel on the floor from laughing. Its just laying there all by itself like like it fell of a lumber truck lol. Good find OP. I think I heard of it before but this is the first time I have seen the picture, nice. S&F

[edit on 8/30/10 by Ophiuchus 13]

Clearly that is a relic from my last "strong man" competition. The railroad tie tossing event is my favorite! You should see where the shot put landed! I wonder how long til we get a rover on Uranus! Wait, that doesn't sound quite right? Ok, the shotput went to Uranus. Nope, not any better? Ok, it is a Chinese Lantern. Nothing to worry about.

Originally posted by remymartin
Here is an explanation for your plank of "wood"

www.universetoday.com...

I would thank you for posting that, but I decided not to after looking at the photos.

Now we will have a lot of posts saying that those photos 'look like' a forest of trees that was knocked down by the meteorite!

reply to post by butcherguy


Maybe the OP should have a gander at another thread, here on ATS, about this same photo:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Sometimes, in a photo, a rock can resemble wood....hasn't anyone ever seen examples right here on Earth??

Originally posted by weedwhacker
reply to post by Super Chubby

 

It's a ROCK.

A stone.

I woulda thought someone would have pointed out the apparent "flagstone pavers" in the photo....looks like someone made a patio floor there.

( Uh oh...hope that doesn't start something....I enjoy my privacy up there, don't want a lot of visitors stopping by, nosing around...

)

Thanks a lot WW!

I saw them too, but I kept my mouth shut.

Originally posted by Whateva69
I'd like to know whats reflecting the speck of light in the top left hand corner.

And in case you're wondering about the other interesting feature in the image, the shiny object in the background is Opportunity's heat shield.

Source

reply to post by Tribble


Do you have another source other than Flickr? I have a flickr account and you can edit those pics easily. I dont know what you are showing in this pic. I love Mars pics so I would like to know what you are pointing out.
Thanks

Also anyone notice the dark line leading up to the material, makes a strait line then angles into the midpoint of woodlike material.

reply to post by misinformational


sweet, thank you

I'm fascinated by the Mars & Moon anomalies. I saw a picture in one of the threads here earlier this year where there appeared to be fossilized lichens on one of the Martian rocks. There's a high probability that it wasn't but hell, it sure looked like it!!!!

Originally posted by misinformational

Originally posted by Whateva69
I'd like to know whats reflecting the speck of light in the top left hand corner.

And in case you're wondering about the other interesting feature in the image, the shiny object in the background is Opportunity's heat shield.

Source

Yes. 'misinfomational' is correct -- it's the heat shield

Here is a close-up:
marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov...
...and not to far away is the aero-shell that also dropped away before the landing:
marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov...


As for the OP's "wood"...there are many other examples of that flat rock all over the area. This one just happens to be more narrow and has its edge exposed to the wind erosion.



[edit on 8/30/2010 by Soylent Green Is People]

Originally posted by mblahnikluver
reply to post by Tribble

 

Do you have another source other than Flickr? I have a flickr account and you can edit those pics easily. I dont know what you are showing in this pic. I love Mars pics so I would like to know what you are pointing out.
Thanks

I hope you don't mind OP, but
It would be a lot easier if you popped over to my thread "Mars:Are we alone" I show you how to go to Google Mars and then the Spirit rover cam. Then see the area in question, from Spirits camera.

reminded me of some areas i know in arizona.

reply to post by rubbertramp


Yes....except, YOUR picture is actually an example of actual wood!!


"petrified" wood, in reality. Consider it to be 'fossilized' wood.

Unlike other types of fossils which are typically impressions or compressions, petrified wood is a three dimensional representation of the original organic material. The petrifaction process occurs underground, when wood becomes buried under sediment ....

....In general, wood takes fewer than 100 years to petrify.

Source.

It is highly doubtful that any wooden "trees", as we would recognize them, ever evolved on Mars. Likely the planet's environment was only suitable for very, very simple forms of life (if at all) before it became too harsh. AND, that would have been billions of years ago.



[edit on 30 August 2010 by weedwhacker]