Sci/Tech: Mars Rover "Spirit" discovers mud on Mars?, page 1

It has not yet been announced to the world, as the first pictures arrive of the Mars rover Spirit's M�ssbauer spectrometer. Surprisingly, it has picked up a small chunk of mars dirt more commonly known as mud...

marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov
Scientists were using the M�ssbauer spectrometer on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit when something unexpected happened. The instrument's contact ring had been placed onto the ground as a reference point for placement of another instrument, the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, for analyzing the soil. After Spirit removed the M�ssbauer from the target, the rover's microscopic imager revealed a gap in the imprint left behind in the soil. The gap, about a centimeter wide (less than half an inch), is visible on the left side of this mosaic of images. Scientists concluded that a small chunk of soil probably adhered to the contact ring on the front surface of the M�ssbauer. Before anyone saw that soil may have adhered to the M�ssbauer, that instrument was placed to analyze martian dust collected by a magnet on the rover. The team plans to take images to see if any soil is still attached to the M�ssbauer. Spirit took these images on the rover's 240th martian day, or sol (Sept. 4, 2004).

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

More to follow I am sure. Todays pcitures have arrived an while this is not been announced you can plainly see the dirt (possible mud?) stuck to the insturment.
This may be the first verifiable evidence of water on mars.

Below link will take you to the picture of the instrument.
marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov...

This may be the first reporting of this news and is in part speculation on my behalf.

Xeven

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
First Month of Spirit Data available online.
SCI/TECH: CONTACT LOST WITH SPIRIT ROVER

[edit on 24-9-2004 by Nerdling]

[edit on 24-9-2004 by Xeven]