A White Thing In The Mars Sand

[rdunk]

I do not know what this white thing is, and right now I won't even make a guess. But when one looks and sees this anomaly, it really does catch your eye. It has some sort of shaft-looking length piece, with a different feature on each end. This anomaly is found in Rover Curiosity photos, sol day 1146. Tthe link to The full pic is:

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw/?rawid=1146MR0051900200601717E01_DXXX&s=1146

Here is a screenshot of the Mars surface showing the anomalous white piece, with a locator ring - what is it?? (click on the pic for even better view)

[rdunk]

There is also another "different looking piece," in the OP pic, just next the the yellow locater ring, about at the 10:00 o'clock position. It is a short vertical feature, just kinda sticking up there for us to see. Could just be a piece of rock-rod sticking up, but, we are not seeing that type of a vertical rock-rod generally in the area?? (simply refer to the OP pic )

[ArMaP]

You will probably think that I am trying to find a common explanation even more than usual, but when looking at the original image and seeing a similar whiteish streak that is just the Sun shining through two rocks I think this may be the same thing.

I don't have any idea of what the other small whitish feature near the yellow line might be.

[rdunk]

You will probably think that I am trying to find a common explanation even more than usual, but when looking at the original image and seeing a similar whiteish streak that is just the Sun shining through two rocks I think this may be the same thing.

I don't have any idea of what the other small whitish feature near the yellow line might be.

Yes ArMaP, I can see what you are talking about. This piece does seem to be a little brighter white,but you could be right about it being sunlight coming through the broken rocks. However, the larger end of this piece, that is nearer to us, does seem to have some sort of "double" white end piece. Just a bit odd looking anyway, and seemingly worth a little discussion!! .....Thanks for your comment!!

[funbox]

Yes ArMaP, I can see what you are talking about. This piece does seem to be a little brighter white,but you could be right about it being sunlight coming through the broken rocks. However, the larger end of this piece, that is nearer to us, does seem to have some sort of "double" white end piece. Just a bit odd looking anyway, and seemingly worth a little discussion!! .....Thanks for your comment!!

sunlight coming through broken rock? there's a rock occluding the white springboard like protrusion. why doesn't that rock have sunlight on it if lights pouring through the top

for a sprinkle of Martian rock salt, ide say it was some kind of miniature Aqua Activity device

funbox

[rdunk]

Yes ArMaP, I can see what you are talking about. This piece does seem to be a little brighter white,but you could be right about it being sunlight coming through the broken rocks. However, the larger end of this piece, that is nearer to us, does seem to have some sort of "double" white end piece. Just a bit odd looking anyway, and seemingly worth a little discussion!! .....Thanks for your comment!!

ArMaP, I have looked more at this pic, and even with using a magnifying glass, in addition to the normal magnification, I do not see a break in the specific rock(s) needed to let light shine down-through to create this white object. Actually, the area of the rocks at the left-point of this anomaly appears to be pretty much fused together.

Another thing about the look of this feature is, at least the right end of this thing clearly shows to have 3-D characteristics. The very end of it even clearly displays two-part separations. So, no, I think maybe we might should give more consideration for what this might be, other than sunlight.

[ArMaP]

ArMaP, I have looked more at this pic, and even with using a magnifying glass, in addition to the normal magnification, I do not see a break in the specific rock(s) needed to let light shine down-through to create this white object.

Considering the slope of the brighter area, the rock(s) creating the shadow do not need to be big. I think the a separation the size of the white object to the left of the yellow line between two rocks would be enough to create that effect.

Another thing about the look of this feature is, at least the right end of this thing clearly shows to have 3-D characteristics. The very end of it even clearly displays two-part separations. So, no, I think maybe we might should give more consideration for what this might be, other than sunlight.

Light projected on a 3D object appears as 3D, as we are looking at the object. If the light was shining on a fork we would see the fork's teeth, like we see the two separate ends of that feature.

PS: I never understood why people use magnifying glasses on a computer screen, that only shows the individual pixels and their components, it doesn't give a better image.
Unless there's some vision deficiency that is corrected by the magnifying glass.

[rdunk]

Quote: "Considering the slope of the brighter area, the rock(s) creating the shadow do not need to be big. I think the a separation the size of the white object to the left of the yellow line between two rocks would be enough to create that effect:.

ArMaP, I guess maybe one of the more obvious things to notice about this white object is, the left half of this piece is seen as having its left-most point laying on a rock, with its "shaft" suspended above the sand, until we see the right end also laying upon another rock. If this were light-caused, then the light would not be suspended, but would just be on the sand/ground.

Quote: "PS: I never understood why people use magnifying glasses on a computer screen, that only shows the individual pixels and their components, it doesn't give a better image. Unless there's some vision deficiency that is corrected by the magnifying glass".

ArMaP. I can't speak for anyone else, but the reason I sometimes use a magnifying glass is..............it can most always makes the features of an object more easily seeable, especially with some of these Mars photos, which often are photographed at significant distances.

[The Seeker]

Looks like a white board with a dovetail joint cut in one end; since we can't physically go there to examine it I just don't see what it matters as anything other than an object to speculate about...



seeker

[ArMaP]

ArMaP, I guess maybe one of the more obvious things to notice about this white object is, the left half of this piece is seen as having its left-most point laying on a rock, with its "shaft" suspended above the sand, until we see the right end also laying upon another rock. If this were light-caused, then the light would not be suspended, but would just be on the sand/ground.

How I see it, the area marked in blue in the image below is sand, the rest is rock, so we are seeing the light shining on the sand and on a small part of a rock protruding from the sand.

ArMaP. I can't speak for anyone else, but the reason I sometimes use a magnifying glass is..............it can most always makes the features of an object more easily seeable, especially with some of these Mars photos, which often are photographed at significant distances.

I don't understand how that can show more detail, as this is what I see when I look at the screen with a magnifying glass.


I prefer to zoom in on the image in a image editing program (the browsers use resampling in the zooming).

[funbox]

Considering the slope of the brighter area, the rock(s) creating the shadow do not need to be big. I think the a separation the size of the white object to the left of the yellow line between two rocks would be enough to create that effect.
Light projected on a 3D object appears as 3D, as we are looking at the object. If the light was shining on a fork we would see the fork's teeth, like we see the two separate ends of that feature.

PS: I never understood why people use magnifying glasses on a computer screen, that only shows the individual pixels and their components, it doesn't give a better image.
Unless there's some vision deficiency that is corrected by the magnifying glass.

so how is it that the tips of the spring board protrusion aren't in shadow like all of the other rock faces angled in that direction ... bounced light from an unseen shiny thing ? 

funbox

[rdunk]

Another thing that pretty much nails this anomaly as being a solid piece, and not sunlight through a crack .............look real closely, and we can see a lump of sand particles which mostly cover the top of the larger doubled white end-piece section. I am posting another screenshot that gives us a little better view of the sand there on top of the end piece.

But in the end, seeker is right! Just no way for us to know what this white anomalous feature is or isn't. It simply is very noticeable when one looks at the pic!

[ArMaP]

so how is it that the tips of the spring board protrusion aren't in shadow like all of the other rock faces angled in that direction ... bounced light from an unseen shiny thing ? 

The image I posted explains better what I see.

[funbox]

you see a idyllic roman gardens  ,with bath salt blue, bathing waters ?

I don't see your point ?

funbox

[ArMaP]

you see a idyllic roman gardens  ,with bath salt blue, bathing waters ?

I don't see your point ?

Did you read the post or did you just look at the image?

Edited to add that maybe I should have said that my post and the image explain better what I see, as it looks like our versions of English are a little incompatible.