Look at the rock on the right, and the lack of rock on the left. (Our left.) It is being reported that this jelly-donut size rock appeared out of nowhere on the Martian surface between photographs.
There are several possible explanations for this.
1) It grew there.
2) It was ejected from a steam vent or something and flew there.
3) This is what a Martian looks like. It will eventually move on.
4) The robot that took the first picture tossed the rock up while driving by.
5) It is a jelly donut.
6) The rock was placed there to cover up a footprint.
What do you think?
I love it when stuff like this happens.
More like this
The law of superimposition says that stuff found on top is younger than stuff found lower down, in a geological or archaeological column. This is generally true, but there are exceptions, mostly trivial and easily understood.
Bora wants some scientist rock stars
Astronomy obliges!
The cores of mountain belts formed by continental collisions often contain metamorphic rocks, formed when sediments were buried in the collision and transformed by heat and pressure.
None of the above. It's Martian poo.
1. Photoshop - someone on the team is playing a joke on everyone
2. A meteorite landed nearby and ejected this - Spirit got lucky
3. Benghazi
1. The rover itself moved it.
Lies! All Lies! The pictures are presented in reverse order - the rock is missing in the second picture because some nogoodnick stole it!
Rock, schmock.
I'd rather see pix of something with eyes, fur, and a tail posing for Sprint.
Wouldn't you?
Wow, this is the most spacial photoshop i ever seen!
Photobomb* sorry
The larger object it is sitting on is a boulder with stress fractures and many pieces held together by gravity/friction/other pieces. Liquid (water, CO2, or other) have collected under/around a fractured piece and caused the piece to pop up to relieve the pressure.
If temperatures cycle a couple more times there is a chance that the piece will fall back into place.
I vote for ejecta, although the idea that it grew there intrigues me.
Either that, or the Martians are messing with us and left it there to mess with our heads...
Naah, it was placed there by a tourist from a "superhabitable" world at Alpha Centauri B
Article: Superhabitable Worlds http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/ast.2013.1088
Summary: Looking for a 'superhabitable' world? Try Alpha Centauri B, paper says http://phys.org/news/2014-01-superhabitable-world-alpha-centauri-paper…