Curiosity: Potential Anomalies (Update 01/2014)

a reply to: [post=18705875]funbox[/pt]

I wonder if Christmas will bring the ghosts of posters past back onto this thread. "Mudlands of Mars" was never a title of an Edgar Rice Burroughs book, but could be an episode of a bad reality show. As long as it's steady ground, maybe the rover is taking a quick run across some land to reach the real foothills.

a reply to: Aleister

by Christmas ?,looks like we hit the edge of the map already, next segment =Lapland



funbox

originally posted by: Aleister
Yes, I keep reading that Curiosity is just about there, is at the foothills, dug into the foothills, has the mountain just ahead of it, and I have no idea where it actually is. There are links, I know, somewhere.

I read somewhere that they turned back some days ago and are going through that area again.

As for maps, I use the ones available from this site, as that site has a "map it" option for each photo, like this one.

originally posted by: Blue Shift

This area of exploration is not thrilling me. Hopefully, we'll get some more interesting rocks to look at when Curiosity starts heading toward the mountain. Otherwise, this area is pretty boring

Not quite the 'thrill' right now, I agree. The only thing that IMO stood out lately (in terms of shape) was the following arrangement of rocks at 'Alexander Hills':

Source

Are those different erosion patterns than previously?

One would think that NASA/JPL would be interested in taking close-ups of the knobs or bosses peaking out of those small chunks. Unless, of course, they already know what that is ... dendrites? Will we ever find out? Hmmmm ...

Stitched Panoramic Overview of 'Alexander Hills'/NASA Photo Journal

a reply to: jeep3r

Dendrites?

more like eaglelites, complete with nest egg and bonus undefinable



mast 820

which kind of reminded me of earlier




funbox

also from mast , to me the shadow doesn't seem to fit right with the metallic looking protrusion leading the three pre protrusions



mast 820

even looking into the shadow is given me an overall sensation of ribcage

funbox

a reply to: funbox

Yep, hopefully ChemCam will reveal what's inside those rocks (or at least beneath the dust cover).

Science is slow, as we know, and Curiosity's been driving around that area for days now, so it must/should(?) be interesting from the perspective of NASA/JPL (eg. orbital data matches minerals on the ground etc.). Or to put it in their words:

While everyone is recovering from their Thanksgiving meals, Curiosity will be feasting on some exciting science targets at the Alexander Hills! We are on our second pass at the Pahrump Hills, and on this pass we are using the instruments on the robotic arm to investigate several key outcrops in more detail.

This weekend we’re focusing on the Alexander Hills. In the previous plan we used the Dust Removal Tool (DRT) to brush off the dust at a target named “Mescal” to expose a fresh surface. This Navcam image from Sol 819 shows the arm extended while investigating “Mescal".

Source

(...)

And so on, and so on (MUST be important!) ...

a reply to: jeep3r

Either important or most of the staff is off on a long (and well-earned) Thanksgiving weekend (a major holiday in the States) and this is a form of make-work while the best and the brightest are away.

a reply to: jeep3r

how exciting

*pulls up a chair moulded in the medium of popcorn*

sunday nights when we get to see that crude wire cleaning implement destroy some interesting features then ?. ill be sure to have a good supply of gif juice stocked, and some snarky comments about using rapidly revolving wired implements in the field of rock exploration

funbox

a reply to: funbox

Exactly my thoughts (and please excuse my sarcasm)!

And now it's about time to move on to that hermatite ridge indicated on your map from a few posts back.

Oh wait, hermatite? Does that mean there wasn't just a puddle or pond inside Gale but rather a great lake reaching up to the slopes of Mt. Sharp? Hmmmm ... I'm sure they'll let us know very soon!

a reply to: jeep3r

Does that mean there wasn't just a puddle or pond inside Gale but rather a great lake reaching up to the slopes of Mt. Sharp?

That's the idea. That's one of the reasons Gale Crater was selected.

Definitive evidence for lake sediments in Gale crater must await in situ observations of sedimentary textures, grain sizes, and compositions (e.g., Squyres et al. 2004a), which Curiosity will make.

www.spaceflight101.com...

Going to have to get a bit further up the slope to determine if the full extent of "Lake Gale."

a reply to: Phage

looks like Phobos and Deimos have a new sibling



mast sol 822

great pressures were involved in making this blowup , I nearly busted my gut when applying the autocolor

o Mars , the great provider of entertainment

funbox

a reply to: Aleister

This is a motivator someone who agrees with me except I am a lot more sure than he:-)

#14 looks obviously like an un-natural formation. Handwork of an ancient Martian craftsman.

originally posted by: jeep3r
There have been so many posts & threads about potential anomalies at Gale Crater that IMO it's sometimes difficult to find certain images or threads using the search function.

In order to keep track of things, I decided to post a small image compilation that links interesting formations and their related threads here on ATS. In that way, it'll be easier to keep an overview without the need to sift through each and every thread posted on such topics. So here goes an updated version of the mosaic that I already used in one of my previous threads:

Click on the number for related posts/threads with more information:
01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16


New images and additions are always inserted in the bottom row(s), as is the case here with Arken's newest find(s). In case you'd like me to add something to this compilation, please just let me know and I'll try to include it in the next update (in a few weeks or months) ...

I'm not including any opinion of mine right here, because I have done so in many previous threads and most of you know what I think about the formations in question. But that (of course) shouldn't prevent you from discussing or commenting on these images, if you wish to do so.

Enjoy & I hope you find this overview useful ... !


P.S.: Thanks to all of you who keep scanning the JPL image archives and, of course, the folks that make these threads come alive. Keep 'em comin', don't stop looking and Happy New Year, ATS!

Spinning:

a reply to: Blue Shift

OK.....but....what's happening there? Interesting respite from the troubles of the Mars.

a reply to: Aleister

looks like the rovers having fun with pam and here 5 instruments to me ill bet there's a concerto of squeaks and moans going on , but at least they'll be no fluids lost

was that just 2 frames Mr shift ?

funbox

originally posted by: funbox
was that just 2 frames Mr shift ?

Three. Some various brushes and cameras looking at a rock close up.

a reply to: Blue Shift
seems like the rovers found a nest egg , its been there for at least 8 sols

Rear Hazcam: Left B sol 817-825



just have to wait until chem comes in to see what its been nosin

funbox

Bugs in the Martian sky, Sol 828: