Mars Curiosity Rover Finds Weird Sphere

[pokerfan]

At first glance it looks like an old cannonball or possibly a dirty golf ball. But knowing that Mars is somewhat lacking in the 16th-century battleship and golf cart departments, there was likely another answer. Of course it's nothing man (or alien)-made, despite what your brain might be telling you. It's another fascinating rock. Yep, it's a spherical Mars rock.

According to MSL scientists based at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., the ball isn't as big as it looks — it's approximately one centimeter wide. Their explanation is that it is most likely something known as a "concretion." Other examples of concretions have been found on the Martian surface before — take, for example, the tiny haematite concretions, or "blueberries", observed by Mars rover Opportunity in 2004 — and they were created during sedimentary rock formation when Mars was abundant in liquid water many millions of years ago.

More: http://io9.com/curiosity-finds-a-weird-ball-on-mars-1639003756

[immoderate]

1. Bocci!

--imm

[pokerfan]

2. Beryllium sphere from Galaxy Quest

Last edited Fri Sep 26, 2014, 10:10 PM - Edit history (1)

[JHB]

3. Hey! That's my old Nerf ball!

"Put that ratty old thing where I'll never find it?", hmmm Mom? Didn't count on robots, did ja?

[theHandpuppet]

4. I've found several concretions in Ordovician outcroppings

Broke them open to find they had built up around a fossilized shell. The largest one I ever found was the size of a softball. I'd been under the impression (mistaken, apparently) that concretions from sedimentary deposits were always formed around an object like a seashell. How does this process work otherwise?

[Ichingcarpenter]

5. Not just a Ball..In the same area..The''traffic light'

http://rt.com/news/190624-mars-traffic-lights-rock-curiosity/


Looks like a gear or a weird cheetos you sometimes find in the bag more than a traffic light...

[King_Klonopin]

9. That's an exhaust manifold from a 1968 Ford. I couldn't remember where I put that thing! nt

[proReality]

11. Looks like the end of an

abandoned, petrified musical instrument.

[hobbit709]

6. It's aliens I tell you.

[ladjf]

7. If certain types of stones are tumbled in water or wind currents long enough

under certain conditions they eventually become balanced spheres. nt

[dipsydoodle]

8. How cool

Ta for posting.

[nikto]

10. No big deal...

It's clearly a petrified tangerine.
Totally inedible.

Nothing to see here, move on.

[Rozlee]

12. Fore!

I never knew I had such a great swing.