The 'Jelly Donut' rock on Mars

Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share (MPSIMS)
#1

Just stumbled across this quite interesting story today - a rock just ‘appeared’ next to the Opportunity rover on mars.

Story link (the best one I could find for image quality)

My first thought was: doesn’t it look like there is quite a close correlation between the shape of that mark on the ground (in the first image) and the shape of the rock that eventually appears on top of it?

And I couldn’t help thinking of Limpet scars

But really, despite the sudden appearance and the strange composition of this thing, I’m not seriously suggesting it’s a living thing. But WTF is going on here?

#2

The current best guess appears to be that the rock was kicked up by a dragging wheel on the rover. One of the wheels is partially locked up–it will rotate, but not pivot, so when the rover changes direction, it drags that wheel sideways across the ground.

#3

The more amazing thing is that the robot is 9 years, 9 months past its expected shelf life.

#4

Further proof that the government can’t do anything right. :slight_smile:

#5

Already a thread.

#6

I did search before posting, but I searched for donut. D’oh.

#7

I’m surprised that in all this time, they’d even notice an out of place rock.

#8

You underestimate how freaking thrilled the scientists are still almost 10 years after the project was supposed to end they’re still getting new footage. They always knew it was going to last longer, you over engineer to ensure you make the timeline you promised but this is beyond what they hoped for.

It’s a sad set of circumstances, projects that worked for years are still delivering but there is very little on the horizon due to budget cuts. Keep going Opportunity, you can do it!

#9

Obligatory XKCD

#10

That is the saddest XKCD.

#11

What the Mars Rover is actually thinking.

#12

What a relief.

#13

Don’t show that one photo to Homer Simpson!

#14

They made the rover out of a supermarket shopping cart?

#15

:smiley:

Thanks, I needed a belly laugh today.

#16

Look closely at the first photo. I think the rock is there, but it’s almost impossible to see because of the angle and lighting.

#17

So do you have a link to the actual post (or even the thread) that pic is part of? I’d like to see if there’s any background or commentary to go with it.

#18

I got it from this thread, who attributes it to one of the Mars rover drivers, but I didn’t look further back than that.

http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=6291&st=915&start=915

#19

That’s what struck me. In the first photo, there’s already something there that looks the exact shape and size of the rock, but it *looks *flat.

Could it just be that the thing was always there - previously coated in dust and has been blown clean by wind, or that it has changed colour due to some surface chemical process such as a thin bloom of salt crystals?

#20

I don’t know; look at the B&W photo in this article (from the other “donut rock” thread). It sure looks like there is something in the second photo that isn’t in the first one.