http://beforeitsnews.com/beyond-science/2012/12/mars-rodent-photo-by-curiosity-rover-nasa-photo-no-photoshop-find-it-yourself-at-nasa-2440116.html
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E30f-LatZR0/ULzzdAdzhyI/AAAAAAAAKhY/lBSXKAGcJvU/s400/gina+pig+on+mars+2.JPG)
Okay, I think someone is messing with the pictures. Thoughts?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ6Iskq65AM
Maybe this will bring it in for you...got me baffled but looks like a rodent.
To verify what it is, we need to see more pictures of the same place. A different angle may be revealing. If it is gone on other pictures then perhaps it is a rodent. It could be a rock that looks like one from that angle.
Intriguing but one picture is simply not enough data.
You're right Pimander. I will keep a lookout for more pictures of the area if Curiosity stays in that area for awhile. I can't imagine them keeping the rover in a static position for too long. More data please....more data..
ok.. while you are gathering more data could you also add some scale info
for those of us who have no concept of how large or small those rocks are
thanks
8)
skyotter, I'm not sure how to do that scaling that you want. I am currently looking at a link regarding curiosity from the NASA JPL site where the raw images are placed. What I am suspecting is that images of rodents, fossilized animal legs and other items may be a perception by those looking at the images. Like Pimander says, if I could get images from different angles I might have a better idea of what I am observing. Maybe I can find a picture with a scale in it. (Annotated picture which they do have on the site).
Here is the site from which I am looking at the images.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html
Rocknest' From Sol 52 Location
Close
This patch of windblown sand and dust downhill from a cluster of dark rocks is the "Rocknest" site, which has been selected as the likely location for first use of the scoop on the arm of NASA's Mars rover Curiosity. This view is a mosaic of images taken by the telephoto right-eye camera of the Mast Camera (Mastcam) during the 52nd Martian day, or sol, of the mission (Sept. 28, 2012), four sols before the rover arrived at Rocknest. The Rocknest patch is about 8 feet by 16 feet (1.5 meters by 5 meters).
Scientists white-balanced the color in this view to show the Martian scene as it would appear under the lighting conditions we have on Earth, which helps in analyzing the terrain.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
This is the caption underneath the image sky otter.
I see Ruins of some sort of huge metallic structure
Here is a quick look at some interesting things in this image
(http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy68/mikeybandb/Ruins.png)
Well, of course we could ask the "rodent" to smile, and if he did, then we would know that it is real!! ;)
Just taking the pic at face value, it seems pretty obvious. What looks like the head is appropriately animal shaped, with one eye obvious. We can see head/body transition area, and at its rear, we can see either a tail, or a part of a rear leg - looks like tail.
Certainly other pics could either corroborate an animal finding, or they could raise more questions, depending upon what might be shown.
While this OP was made on the basis of a news report, at some point, it maybe should be considered for moving it to the "Mars Anomalies" forum board??
I cannot find another image of this area and I suspect that unless the scientist are really interested in a section of Mars, or they would take more pictures, or so I'm thinking. By the same token, if they don't really want us to see what's really there they would move on with their images and post on those they want us to see. I also believe that things by the government are hidden in plain sight with the government thinking the sheep would be thinking that "they wouldn't hide something out in the open." I guess if I look hard enough, I can find any shape rock that would look like a known object. I will keep looking though...thanks for moving this to the proper place. My apologies for placing it in the wrong area of the forum. mav....
Maybe what we are seeing when it comes to animals are fossils that have been uncovered by the martian winds?
Quote from: spacemaverick on December 06, 2012, 07:37:21 PM
I cannot find another image of this area and I suspect that unless the scientist are really interested in a section of Mars, or they would take more pictures, or so I'm thinking.
From what I remember when this first appeared, that's the only photo of that area, Curiosity moved to a new site on the following Sol.
Quote from: spacemaverick on December 06, 2012, 07:57:50 PM
Maybe what we are seeing when it comes to animals are fossils that have been uncovered by the martian winds?
Not likely, as it does not look like a fossil and I'm not even sure if that rock is a sedimentary rock, the type of rock where fossils can be found.
I think there are far more amazing pictures of mars that hold my interest such as the "transit tubes". This could have been doctored for whatever reason or it could simply be a trick of light and shadow on the angle a rock was viewed. I think skepticism is important when looking for the truth. I try not to let it blind me to obvious facts, but at the same time I let it guide me to ask the right questions. Would be funny if it was indeed a mars rodent :D
Quote from: Deathcoyote on January 14, 2013, 10:30:44 PM
I think there are far more amazing pictures of mars that hold my interest such as the "transit tubes".
What "transit tubes"?
Quote from: Deathcoyote on January 14, 2013, 10:30:44 PM
I think there are far more amazing pictures of mars that hold my interest such as the "transit tubes". This could have been doctored for whatever reason or it could simply be a trick of light and shadow on the angle a rock was viewed. I think skepticism is important when looking for the truth. I try not to let it blind me to obvious facts, but at the same time I let it guide me to ask the right questions. Would be funny if it was indeed a mars rodent :D
Maybe one of these days we will find out. I am open minded.
What? They didn't run over it with the Rover?
NASA is slipping! ;D
Quote from: starwarp2000 on January 15, 2013, 03:21:12 PM
What? They didn't run over it with the Rover?
NASA is slipping! ;D
ROADKILL!!!!!