Can someone explain whether this is natural?

Photo is too large to embed. But look at the bottom right.

mars.jpl.nasa.gov...

reply to post by Shino


Of course it's natural!!

Please tell me why you need to ask?

Am I missing something in the pic other than rocks?



Ok...after looking again I see the 3 squarish rocks along a parallel line, this does not look natural....good spot!


I am intrigued myself now as to what it is...

reply to post by Shino

No way to tell at that distance but the squares are certainly interesting looking.

Right angles are not naturally repeated usually. Could be an imprint caused by the rover? Is this an high altitude shot?

do you mean this?

color inverted...



? i don't know if it would be anything.

Here is a slightly cleaner version of the cropped picture...interesting indeed. I don't think this can be from the rover's wheels, as I don't recall the tread having right angles. Hmmm?

Originally posted by Lonewulph
Right angles are not naturally repeated usually. Could be an imprint caused by the rover? Is this an high altitude shot?

First of all, right angles can be repeated in nature. Think of crystals (quartz, halite., etc)...
...Having said that, id do NOT think these right angles are due to crystals. I just wanted to point out that to say something like "right angles are not repeated [in nature]" is NOT a true statement.

Back to the image:

I can't tell you what it is, but it was taken on the ground (sol 103) by the Mars Descent Imaging Camera (MARDI), which is located on the underside of the rover. MARDI was used to image the ground from above during the descent, but it can also be used to take pictures of objects just below the rover while the rover is roving on the ground.

I suppose the marks could be some imprint left behind by rover equipment. You would think it would look more like a continuous track if it was from the wheel, but maybe the rover arm bumped on the surface at that location. I'm not saying that's what happened, but the possibility should be considered.

Very interesting. I wish we could gauge how far up the pictures was taken at.

I am leaning towards rover tracks but it is interesting how the tracks stop. Maybe the soil that the marks are on is softer than the surrounding area?

It is a cool picture, thanks for posting!

EDIT- Maybe the marks are left over from a soil test? Maybe the picture is closer than it appears?

Wheel Tracks

very interesting. the 'squareness' is quite defined;

It is from the wheels of the rover.

Originally posted by Avgudar
It is from the wheels of the rover.

But how can a wheel leave a single isolated mark, with no continuation?

Here's another image from the same camera over the same spot:
mars.jpl.nasa.gov...

Source: mars.jpl.nasa.gov...

I think it's an imprint of some instrument or part of the rover.

P.S. maybe it was the wheel, I don't know.

Originally posted by UdonNiedtuno
Here is a slightly cleaner version of the cropped picture...interesting indeed. I don't think this can be from the rover's wheels, as I don't recall the tread having right angles. Hmmm?

Legos buried in the sand I guess Legos are everywhere

Originally posted by wildespace

Originally posted by Avgudar
It is from the wheels of the rover.

But how can a wheel leave a single isolated mark, with no continuation?

Here's another image from the same camera over the same spot:
mars.jpl.nasa.gov...

Source: mars.jpl.nasa.gov...

I think it's an imprint of some instrument or part of the rover.

If an objects stands on a single spot of semi-hard sand for a longer period of time the wind will "stirr the object about" and the bottom pattern of the tires will dig down into the soil. I have seen this myself.

Looking at both the photo of the wheel track, and the photo in question, I do not think it is from the wheel.

If you look at the indentations of the wheel and compare them to the photo, they seem to be opposite what they should be.

For example, the space between the 'squares' on the wheel should be recessed in the sand, not imprinted as the photo suggests. Also, the 'squares' on the wheel SHOULD be the imprint in the sand, where it is not.

Unless I am looking at it incorrectly.

Just a quick reply from me..
The mars rover does have a laser for cutting up rocks on the surface..
It could be that.

I dont think it would be a alien artifact that puzzle NASA, those pictures would NEVER be send home before a good story is brewed up. And I dont think its tiretracks, its to isolated.

Just a thought people

Looks a lot like the symbol for pi to me.

No biggy just a thought.

I'm sticking with "Wheel Tracks"



From Sol 104

It probably came off a rock at just the right time to leave one imprint, then back up on another rock.

Originally posted by Soylent Green Is People

Originally posted by Lonewulph
Right angles are not naturally repeated usually. Could be an imprint caused by the rover? Is this an high altitude shot?

First of all, right angles can be repeated in nature. Think of crystals (quartz, halite., etc)...
...Having said that, id do NOT think these right angles are due to crystals. I just wanted to point out that to say something like "right angles are not repeated [in nature]" is NOT a true statement.

Si, that's why I said 'usually', having said that... I also took into account,.... it's Mars.

A series of seemingly perfect squares in the sand usually would not be, well, natural... in the 'nature' of Mars.

Originally posted by Shino
Photo is too large to embed. But look at the bottom right.

mars.jpl.nasa.gov... [/quote
Looks like some sort of stone-work covered by sand. The 3 pieces appear to be too perfectly shaped, too alike and 'arranged' to be there at random.

Nice catch!