Curiosity Rover Takes Detailed Photos of Martian Rock Formation

NASA’s Curiosity rover snapped some stunning images of a rocky outcrop during its most recent trek on Mars. The photos were taken using the rover’s 2-megapixel MastCams on Sept. 15 and stitched together by graphic designer Ed Truthan. You can click the image to see it in its full 4,000-pixel-wide glory.

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Detail Detail!

Love it.........enjoy.

"I see a face!!!"....................joke.

reply to post by CaptainBeno


It's the remnants of a concrete foundation from a Martian strip mall...j/k

Great pics CaptainBeno...I like details that leave nothing to the imagination.

Des

reply to post by CaptainBeno


Wow. Rocks. What a find. I'm not sure the world is ready for such a discovery. Billions of dollars so we can get excited about pictures of rocks. What are we expecting to find up there besides rocks. Fossils? water? life?
When they claim to have found one of these things let me know.

reply to post by mark1167


Ok, will do.

I'm sure it won't be long.

Really neat pic.....the small rounded depression in the center of the photo on the rock outcropping looks like it could have been a bubble at one time, when the rock was molten.

Thanks for sharing!

reply to post by CaptainBeno


sigh....I flagged for you. Peace.

I noticed that outcrop a couple of days ago in one of the thumbnails. The detail shows it's pretty clearly alluvial in nature.

This long range view seems to show a long shelf in the middle distance. Could be similar.

reply to post by FissionSurplus


Yeah, that caught my eye too....thought the same thing.

reply to post by Phage


In a "crusty" kind of way.

I can see what your talking about. I believe it's heading in that direction now?

Great clear pics, but no skulls or bones or coffee cups.....what's going on?.....

Nice one.........cheers

Reminds me of old asphalt road that had a lot of gravel put into it, and get's broken up by road crews to build something else.

Love that rock with the semi-circular depression in it. Looks cool.

Looks like something busted through the surface...


BRB gonna go get my tinfoil cranium protector.

Originally posted by eriktheawful
Reminds me of old asphalt road that had a lot of gravel put into it, and get's broken up by road crews to build something else.

Love that rock with the semi-circular depression in it. Looks cool.

I was thinking the exact same thing!

Hmmmmm.......

Seriously though, take a look at how the small stones (pebbles, gravel) are grouped together below the out cropping.

I've seen this before here on earth.......clay/mud with lots of rocks embedded in it, and as they dry they fall to the ground (or as the clay/dirt weathers away):



I keep thinking there is a name for that, but can't remember. But it does have something to do with water (after it's evaporated away).

Going to bug me now trying to remember what's that called until I go to bed!

reply to post by eriktheawful

Alluvium.

Good night.

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by eriktheawful

 

Alluvium.

Good night.

edit on 9/18/2012 by Phage because: (no reason given)

BINGO!



Thanks Phage! Now I can go right to sleep! Hehehehe.

That is what it looks like though.

Er.. all I see is rocks. Tune in tomorrow and we'll see Sand. And then next Friday we will see the exciting conclusion of Even More Rocks ( but surrounded by sand)

Good pics I suppose but sorry if I'm not impressed by them. Now if you found the one with the C in it, that would be something.

reply to post by JohnPhoenix


Hahahaha I "C" what you mean!

Just for you:

reply to post by mark1167


C'mon dude, this isnt just rocks.
This is Mars.
Its another planet, considering the only life experience you've ever had is EARTH and EARTH Rocks you'd think some people are a little more positive about this sort of thing.

It is just rocks, but these pictures are so good I feel like i can just touch them.. it makes me think that' we as a species have been to mars.

I for one will happily spend hours looking at these rocks wondering what if...


edit to add..
this looks interesting..

Originally posted by CaptainBeno
reply to post by JohnPhoenix

 

Hahahaha

I "C" what you mean!

Just for you:

LOL Thanks. See.. or.. C - I knew these were faked! Mars is in a studio in Hollywood!

Seriously.. not to say these pics aren't great but I was hoping for something a little more scientifically challenging ( the real pics not your C pic) - something extraordinary about the rocks that would really give the folks at NASA pause to say there is something odd going on here, and we need to figure it out. There seems nothing extraordinary about these rocks, 'cept of course they are on mars. You get a star and flag not just for the rocks, but because you have a good since of humor.