Mars where rover touched down looks ‘Earth-like’: How long before the conspiracy theories start?

[Snow Pea]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/nation...c85_story.html

CT's in 3...2....1?

[Chimera]

[CT Begins]

Obviously the atmosphere on Mars is much thicker than they tell us it is. Otherwise there wouldn't be dust blowing in the wind and the landers wouldn't be able to use parachutes.

[/CT]

[MEBuckner]

"The ancient Martian crater where the Curiosity rover landed looks strikingly similar to the Mojave Desert in California with its looming mountains and hanging haze, scientists said Wednesday."

Connect the dots people!!!


THE MOJAVE DESERT IS ON MARS!!!

[Chimera]

How long before someone appears on one of the CT websites claiming that he was out driving in the Mojave and came across the rover, then had his camera confiscated and his life threatened by men in black waving federal badges?

[Rigamarole]

Doesn't this thing have HD cameras? Where are the pictures? I just see a low-res video with crappy CGI.

[kanicbird]

When the penguins march by

[Gagundathar]

This was posted as a comment for the linked article:

"The ancient Martian crater where the Curiosity rover landed looks strikingly similar to the Mojave Desert in California with its looming mountains and hanging haze, scientists said Wednesday."

Because in all likelihood, it probably is. It's all a hoax. They say they landed something on Mars, but are bamboozling us with some pictures on Earth with some Photoshop tricks sayin' it's Mars, all the while pocketing the $2.5 billion this nonsense cost us taxpayers. Shut NASA down and save some money.

That was at 2159 EDT.

Do I win?

[LC Strawhouse]

Originally Posted by Snow Pea

http://www.washingtonpost.com/nation...c85_story.html

CT's in 3...2....1?

Forget the Mars photos - I'm much more disturbed by the photo of the two scientists hugging, in that linked article. That is deeply disrespectful to their respective spouses at home and could easily lead to heartbreak/divorce (I won't even get started on whether it could constitute workplace harassment as well). Even a successful space mission is no excuse for that kind of behavior.

[Senegoid]

How long before the CT's start?

Why, it was all a hoax from Tee Minus One and everyone with a lick-o-sense knew it!

Well HUMPH! Who in his right mind ever believed in the first place that we sent a mission to Mars? Fools all!

[DMark]

I have to admit, so far the photos kind of look like anywhere 10 miles outside of Las Vegas, but without the billboards.

[Gorsnak]

Originally Posted by DMark

I have to admit, so far the photos kind of look like anywhere 10 miles outside of Las Vegas, but without the billboards.

But the billboards have been there for ages....... OMG, they've invented a time machine and they're using Mars as cover for testing it!!

[Diceman]

Hell, there are large swaths of the Western US that look exactly like that! Just off the top of my head, it could pass for large portions of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, or Nevada. Probably southern California and western Texas too, but I haven't personally been to either state.

[msmith537]

Damn it Cohagaan! Those people need air!

[control-z]

Originally Posted by LC Strawhouse

Forget the Mars photos - I'm much more disturbed by the photo of the two scientists hugging, in that linked article. That is deeply disrespectful to their respective spouses at home and could easily lead to heartbreak/divorce (I won't even get started on whether it could constitute workplace harassment as well). Even a successful space mission is no excuse for that kind of behavior.

Am I being whooshed? You can't hug at work now? There is no reason that couldn't be 100% platonic, or they are both single, or they ARE married, or they are related, or 100 other perfectly normal reasons. They knew there was media there, if they were having a secret affair don't think you think that would have been the worst time to hug?

Geez.

[Leaffan]

Originally Posted by LC Strawhouse

Forget the Mars photos - I'm much more disturbed by the photo of the two scientists hugging, in that linked article. That is deeply disrespectful to their respective spouses at home and could easily lead to heartbreak/divorce (I won't even get started on whether it could constitute workplace harassment as well). Even a successful space mission is no excuse for that kind of behavior.

This is a joke, right?

It's hard to tell anymore.

[Senegoid]

Originally Posted by Senegoid

Why, it was all a hoax from Tee Minus One and everyone with a lick-o-sense knew it!

Well HUMPH! Who in his right mind ever believed in the first place that we sent a mission to Mars? Fools all!

Upon more detailed analysis of the photos, I am all the more convinced of the monstrous hoax this is! Those pictures are from Tatooine!

[Leaffan]

Originally Posted by Gagundathar

This was posted as a comment for the linked article:

That was at 2159 EDT.

Do I win?

These people are aware that we've had pictures from the surface of Mars since 1976, right?

[Gorsnak]

Originally Posted by Leaffan

These people are aware that we've had pictures from the surface of Mars since 1976, right?

Hah! You actually believe that? You actually think Spirit and Opportunity could really have lasted so long on Mars? Hell, they can't actually last that long on Earth. NASA drives out into the Mojave with replacements during every "Martian winter".

You're soooo naive.

[gunnergoz]

Originally Posted by Rigamarole

Doesn't this thing have HD cameras? Where are the pictures? I just see a low-res video with crappy CGI.

No, no HD cameras. The photos HD cameras produce require too much bandwidth to transmit and storage space to store on the lander. They have been optimized to be robust and reliable. From what I've read, the actual camera technology being used is apparently about 7-8 years old, having been frozen early in the design to be consistent with the KISS principle. Reliability is the key word here.

[msmith537]

You can plainly tell this photos are from Planet X or Nabooty or whatever it's called. From the shadows it's obviously on a collision course with Earth!

[ralph124c]

That mountain range in the distance looks very earth-like. So it seems that Mars did have some plate tectonics, and enough crustal movement to form metamorphic rocks.
I look forward to pictures of the rocks-hope they find some puddingstone.

[Capt Kirk]

Personally I am waiting for pictures of umkay flying by in her wheelchair O' death, then we will know it is a hoax

CAPT

Sorry couldn't help myself

[LC Strawhouse]

Originally Posted by control-z

Am I being whooshed? You can't hug at work now? There is no reason that couldn't be 100% platonic, or they are both single, or they ARE married, or they are related, or 100 other perfectly normal reasons. They knew there was media there, if they were having a secret affair don't think you think that would have been the worst time to hug?

Geez.

Check out the body language in that photo - it obviously caught them in a unfortunate candid moment that betrayed something illicit. They probably haven't hugged their spouses like that in years. Their spouses are probably hacking their email for evidence of an affair at this very moment.

Originally Posted by Leaffan

This is a joke, right?

It's hard to tell anymore.

If it's a joke, it's not as funny as Phil Kessel ... or the new team in Markham.

[Beastly Rotter]

Originally Posted by LC Strawhouse

Check out the body language in that photo - it obviously caught them in a unfortunate candid moment that betrayed something illicit. They probably haven't hugged their spouses like that in years. Their spouses are probably hacking their email for evidence of an affair at this very moment.

Relax, it's obviously a Photoshop.

[coremelt]

Originally Posted by ralph124c

That mountain range in the distance looks very earth-like. So it seems that Mars did have some plate tectonics, and enough crustal movement to form metamorphic rocks.

Quibble. Thats not a mountain range, it's the rim of the gale crater which the rover is inside.

[Leaffan]

Originally Posted by LC Strawhouse

Check out the body language in that photo - it obviously caught them in a unfortunate candid moment that betrayed something illicit. They probably haven't hugged their spouses like that in years. Their spouses are probably hacking their email for evidence of an affair at this very moment.



If it's a joke, it's not as funny as Phil Kessel ... or the new team in Markham.

If you watched the landing live, like I did, you'd see that everyone in the control room was high-fiving and hugging.
Also, please stop with the off-topic threadshitting hijacks?

[squeegee]

Originally Posted by gunnergoz

No, no HD cameras. The photos HD cameras produce require too much bandwidth to transmit and storage space to store on the lander. They have been optimized to be robust and reliable. From what I've read, the actual camera technology being used is apparently about 7-8 years old, having been frozen early in the design to be consistent with the KISS principle. Reliability is the key word here.

Hrm, HD video is 2 megapixels. Two. They had 2 megapixel cameras 8 years ago.

My understanding is that they can't make/transmit higher rez images until the rover software is upgraded in the next few days and they turn on more of the instruments.

[squeegee]

Originally Posted by squeegee

Hrm, HD video is 2 megapixels. Two. They had 2 megapixel cameras 8 years ago.

My understanding is that they can't make/transmit higher rez images until the rover software is upgraded in the next few days and they turn on more of the instruments.

Well, hell -- wiki says all 17 cameras are 1600x1200 resolution. Or just under 2 megapixels. So it is "HD", but not terribly good resolution. What were they thinking?

[Ellen Cherry]

Originally Posted by LC Strawhouse

If it's a joke, it's not as funny as Phil Kessel ... or the new team in Markham.

LC Stawhouse, if you have an issue with Leaffan, please take to the Pit.