Mars Flower or bit of plastic?

TarJak · 01-07-13, 07:00 PM

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci...108-2cdig.html

No doubt the conspiracy theorists will be having a field day with this little gem. It will be interesting to see what NASA ends up concluding what it is. I think the trick will be trying to get analysis other than just the photo.

Platapus · 01-07-13, 07:53 PM

This is one of the problems with extraterrestrial photography. Pictures taken on Mars (with its sun angles and atmosphere) will often look different from pictures taken on Earth (with its sun exposure and atmosphere)

For stuff like this, you really need multiple photographs taken at different angles and different times in order to properly identify things.

In this image, I can easily see some exposed ore that halates (glares) in that combination of sun exposure and atmosphere. But with one image, and a reproduced one at that, it is impossible to determine what is or is not "there".

Oberon · 01-07-13, 09:28 PM

AVGWarhawk · 01-08-13, 08:41 AM

I think it is a corn chip.

danasan · 01-08-13, 12:50 PM

That's definitely a mars flower, no doubt about that...

Takeda Shingen · 01-08-13, 03:10 PM

Did anyone check to see if it had Jesus' face on it?

Cybermat47 · 01-08-13, 03:17 PM

It's plastic, any fool can see that! I mean, it's not human plastic, but still...

Skybird · 01-08-13, 04:51 PM

NASA seems to be really desperate these days, craving for attention (and funding), considering how many events there have been now when a lost fart was blown up to a sensational, at least a mysterious revelation of some assumes spectacular news.

I honestly think these days that the whole idea of sending robots to Mars, and Mars exploration and painting visions of futures on Mars in brightest colours, all is about getting money for just going on with business as usual in the present. Forming the future has little to do with it, getting along this very day and paying the cheques by the end of the month is what it is about. The future, any kind of realism - imo have less and lesser to do with it.

It's like with commercials for washing powder or tooth paste. Clean. Cleaner. Shiny white clean. Cleaner than ever before. Clinically purified. Health-improving purity. Whiter than white. Ultimate white. Perfectly ultimate super-white.

The days of the race to the moon and all that fascination are over. Get over it. If you want that back, read a good classical SF book from the 50s-80s range.

I admit I am very tired of hearing all this fantastic news from Mars. All I see on the pics is a desolate, boring, lonely place not comforting to the human soul. And when we cannot even tackle Smog in our cities, not to mention other environmental issues, we still dream of terraforming an alien world and atmosphere...?

We must have lost our marbles.

Oberon · 01-08-13, 04:58 PM

Actually, Sky, it's not NASA creating this fuss, it's websites following NASA. NASA just released the image, and this item was spotted in it. It's probably already been graded and dismissed by those examining the image.
NASA itself certainly will try to drum up funding though, since they're sniffing around for scraps of what's left over from the budget. Can't say I blame them when Russia and China are sending rockets up on a regular basis and the pads at Cape Canaveral have weeds growing on them...

Jimbuna · 01-09-13, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

I think it is a corn chip.

Damn!....a potato chip I may have had a use for.

01-09-13, 07:54 PM

Back when we started launching stuff at Mars, the SPCA forced NASA to use fake monkeys.
Those were filled with styrofoam peanuts.
Most of those missions crashed and burned on entry.
This is just some fake monkey gut blown around from those failed missions.

Blacklight · 01-10-13, 02:34 AM

It's actually a crystal in the rock that is not uncommon for developing in an area with water. The picture was taken with the Mars Hand Lens Imager, so the crystal is VERY tiny. We're talking millimeters or even micromillimeters tiny.

GT182 · 01-12-13, 11:43 PM

Nope, some dam litterbug from Delaware did it. We can now be called the intergalactic garbage state. Sorry New Jersey, you lose.

01-07-13, 07:00 PM	#1
TarJak Fleet Admiral Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 17,052 Downloads: 150 Uploads: 8	Mars Flower or bit of plastic? http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci...108-2cdig.html No doubt the conspiracy theorists will be having a field day with this little gem. It will be interesting to see what NASA ends up concluding what it is. I think the trick will be trying to get analysis other than just the photo.

01-07-13, 07:53 PM	#2
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,360 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	This is one of the problems with extraterrestrial photography. Pictures taken on Mars (with its sun angles and atmosphere) will often look different from pictures taken on Earth (with its sun exposure and atmosphere) For stuff like this, you really need multiple photographs taken at different angles and different times in order to properly identify things. In this image, I can easily see some exposed ore that halates (glares) in that combination of sun exposure and atmosphere. But with one image, and a reproduced one at that, it is impossible to determine what is or is not "there". __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.

01-08-13, 08:41 AM	#4
AVGWarhawk Lucky Jack Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a 1954 Buick. Posts: 28,253 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	I think it is a corn chip. __________________ “You're painfully alive in a drugged and dying culture.” ― Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road

01-08-13, 12:50 PM	#5
danasan Elite Spam Hunter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Flensburg / Germany Posts: 1,141 Downloads: 39 Uploads: 0	That's definitely a mars flower, no doubt about that... __________________ "I invite you to go inside this submergible hole in the water where you can nicely hide from destroyers."

01-08-13, 03:17 PM	#7
Cybermat47 Willing Webfooted Beast Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Australia Posts: 5,408 Downloads: 300 Uploads: 23	It's plastic, any fool can see that! I mean, it's not human plastic, but still... __________________ Historical TWoS Gameplay Guide: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?p=2572620 Historical FotRSU Gameplay Guide: https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/sho....php?p=2713394

01-07-13, 09:28 PM	#3
Oberon Lucky Jack Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 25,976 Downloads: 61 Uploads: 20

01-08-13, 03:10 PM	#6
Takeda Shingen Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2000 Posts: 8,643 Downloads: 19 Uploads: 0	Did anyone check to see if it had Jesus' face on it?

01-08-13, 04:51 PM	#8
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,602 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	NASA seems to be really desperate these days, craving for attention (and funding), considering how many events there have been now when a lost fart was blown up to a sensational, at least a mysterious revelation of some assumes spectacular news. I honestly think these days that the whole idea of sending robots to Mars, and Mars exploration and painting visions of futures on Mars in brightest colours, all is about getting money for just going on with business as usual in the present. Forming the future has little to do with it, getting along this very day and paying the cheques by the end of the month is what it is about. The future, any kind of realism - imo have less and lesser to do with it. It's like with commercials for washing powder or tooth paste. Clean. Cleaner. Shiny white clean. Cleaner than ever before. Clinically purified. Health-improving purity. Whiter than white. Ultimate white. Perfectly ultimate super-white. The days of the race to the moon and all that fascination are over. Get over it. If you want that back, read a good classical SF book from the 50s-80s range. I admit I am very tired of hearing all this fantastic news from Mars. All I see on the pics is a desolate, boring, lonely place not comforting to the human soul. And when we cannot even tackle Smog in our cities, not to mention other environmental issues, we still dream of terraforming an alien world and atmosphere...? We must have lost our marbles. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

01-08-13, 04:58 PM	#9
Oberon Lucky Jack Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 25,976 Downloads: 61 Uploads: 20	Actually, Sky, it's not NASA creating this fuss, it's websites following NASA. NASA just released the image, and this item was spotted in it. It's probably already been graded and dismissed by those examining the image. NASA itself certainly will try to drum up funding though, since they're sniffing around for scraps of what's left over from the budget. Can't say I blame them when Russia and China are sending rockets up on a regular basis and the pads at Cape Canaveral have weeds growing on them...

01-09-13, 07:54 PM	#11
Madox58 Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	Back when we started launching stuff at Mars, the SPCA forced NASA to use fake monkeys. Those were filled with styrofoam peanuts. Most of those missions crashed and burned on entry. This is just some fake monkey gut blown around from those failed missions.

01-10-13, 02:34 AM	#12
Blacklight Ocean Warrior Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Connecticut Posts: 2,507 Downloads: 145 Uploads: 0	It's actually a crystal in the rock that is not uncommon for developing in an area with water. The picture was taken with the Mars Hand Lens Imager, so the crystal is VERY tiny. We're talking millimeters or even micromillimeters tiny. __________________ Be my friend or be a mushroom cloud. "I am coming at you. You will explode in a couple of minutes !"

01-12-13, 11:43 PM	#13
GT182 Ocean Warrior Join Date: May 2005 Location: New Castle of Delaware Posts: 3,231 Downloads: 658 Uploads: 0	Nope, some dam litterbug from Delaware did it. We can now be called the intergalactic garbage state. Sorry New Jersey, you lose. __________________ Gary No Borders, No Language, No Culture =s No Country I'm a Deplorable, and proud of it.