Round Stain Near Purgatory Dune, round stain visible in the sand |
Round Stain Near Purgatory Dune, round stain visible in the sand |
Guest_Richard Trigaux_* |
Jun 21 2005, 05:49 AM
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#1
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Guests |
Hello all,
some of us (in the Free! thread) noticed a round dark stain near Oppy: visible here on the NASA site (look bottom right, just above Oppy's solar panel). So I open this thread for this. What such a stain could be? It looks just like a mere change in color, with the same texture than around it. The more trivial explanation would be a drop of lubricant fallen from the apparatus at the end of Oppy's solar panels, when she passed here just before she got stuck. With a temperature of 20° oil could spread, and certain oil compositions would not evaporate, at least not fast. But there would be more enthralling explanations. For instance a colony of bacteria could look like this. Or other really unexpected explanation. In any case we do not know what it is and it may be potentially very interesting. So I think it is worth a bit of examination with the instruments. Just be cautious not to place the microscope right on it, if it is oil it would irremediably dirty the lens. |
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Jun 21 2005, 06:10 AM
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#2
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2492 Joined: 15-January 05 From: center Italy Member No.: 150 |
Someone noticed similar spots elsewere...
As already written in another thread, could be the dark spot a "tiny crater" completely filled with fresh (darker) sand? Note that in image you posted, in the other side of the same dune there is a tiny crater with approximately the same size; it is uncovered by sand probably because main wind direction is from right... [/quote] -------------------- I always think before posting! - Marco -
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