The Press and the Man on Mars |
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The Press and the Man on Mars |
 Jan 23 2008, 12:43 PM
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#16
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Administrator  Group: Admin Posts: 11153 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1  |
I've done a post to Phil's BA page
QUOTE We've had a look at it here - http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.p...ic=4927&hl= With some good work from a couple of people, we can say with a high degree of confidence that this 'feature' is 4.7 +/- 0.03 metres from the rover, and is approx 5.7cm tall. It was taken on sol 1367 http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/spirit_p1367.html It is in every image from the top row http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all...CP2415L7M1.HTML http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all...CP2415R1M1.HTML http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all...CP2415L2M1.HTML http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all...CP2415L5M1.HTML Visible at the bottom of those images. The range and size were calculated by comparing the left and right eye images. It is also in these images http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/spirit_n1364.html http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all...CP0715L0M1.HTML http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all...CP0715R0M1.HTML Those are Navcam frames, so a lower resolution than the Pancam frames. It is also available here http://pancam.astro.cornell.edu/pancam_ins...se_color28.html as a JPG http://pancam.astro.cornell.edu/pancam_ins..._L257_pos_1.jpg and a TIF http://pancam.astro.cornell.edu/pancam_ins..._L257_pos_1.tif There are images of the same area taken from elsewhere - but only from some distance away, and to be honest I don't think I've found exactly the same rock in the other images - That region is in these iamges from 5 days earlier. http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/spirit_p1362.html Specifically http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all...1P2411L7M1.HTML http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all...1P2411L7M1.HTML And a colour sequence imaged on Sol 1363 http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/spirit_p1363.html Specifically http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all...1P2545L7M1.HTML I've added an image of the rover location on Sol 1364-7 as seen by the rover on Sol 1362-3 to the bottom of the thread listed at the top of this post. That's just about every bit of information of that site. The nut-jobs will not be moved in their stance, I'm sure, but hopefully the rest of us can enjoy the imagery for what it is. Attached, the Screenshot in question, and my guess of where it is in the imagery from a fair few metres away. Update - I think the same region is imaged in these : http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/spirit_n1350.html http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all...AP0736L0M1.HTML Doug
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Jan 23 2008, 01:02 PM
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#17
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 Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1820 Joined: 24-June 05 From: Belgium - Where Einstein lived in 1933 Member No.: 418 |
Reminds me of the letter "B" seen on one of the rocks near Viking 1
(The Martians call their planet Barsoom) 
-------------------- ...without life, no astronomers
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Jan 23 2008, 03:19 PM
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#18
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 Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 1778 Joined: 9-February 04 From: UK Member No.: 16 |
This whole episode reminded me that I hadn't finished doing the West Valley pan - not much need as there is an official one now, but it was nearly done anyway.
Here it is, including our little friend, along with lots of other funny shaped rocks.   James -------------------- My MER & Phoenix Imagery site - Martian Vistas ---- Twitter Feed
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Jan 23 2008, 04:29 PM
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#19
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 Senior Member Group: Admin Posts: 2715 Joined: 15-March 05 From: Elk Grove, CA Member No.: 197 |
QUOTE (djellison @ Jan 23 2008, 12:52 AM)  but over my morning tea ( Dan - what were you thinking! ) How Amero-centric of me  I hang my head in shame. I should probably walk over to the authentic pub near my office for lunch today and order the bangers and mash with a few pints of Fullers for a cultural refresher lesson. In fact I probably ought to spend the entire afternoon there.
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Jan 23 2008, 04:36 PM
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#20
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 Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 4418 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
Anybody ready for some worse news?
 The bloody pic is the current headline story (as of 1634 GMT 23 Jan 08) on the Fox News website. Imagesmiths and analysts, to arms, to arms!!!  Thank God I worked a double yesterday & I'm off today...gonna start drinking now. -------------------- Yet as we leave, as we continue the often humbling maturation process of learning, it is wise to remember that we also have much to unlearn.
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Jan 23 2008, 04:49 PM
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#21
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 Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1458 Joined: 28-December 04 Member No.: 132 |
Obviously the papers were just having a bit of fun. I didn't see any serious
suggestions that the form was anything but rock. The Fox News item even referred to the Bad Astronomer debunking of the story. I would be more concerened with the factual error made by Fox News: "...panoramic photograph snapped on the edge of Mars' Gusev crater...." |
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Jan 23 2008, 05:49 PM
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#22
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 4418 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
Problem is, though, that this sort of "fun" royally messes up the general public's perceptions and expectations of space exploration, at least here in the US. I'm off today, but I'm expecting a LOT of e-mails & questions about this when I go in tomorrow, to say nothing of the smug assertations of our resident consipracy theorists, who will view the article itself (if they even read it) as spin control.
All in all, this is just putting a lot of gas in somebody named Richard's tank...to the great detriment of education & outreach. It's irresponsible sensationalism, and certainly does not meet the intent of journalism, which is to report facts. -------------------- Yet as we leave, as we continue the often humbling maturation process of learning, it is wise to remember that we also have much to unlearn.
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Jan 23 2008, 06:53 PM
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#23
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1458 Joined: 28-December 04 Member No.: 132 |
At least the "Mars Rock Man" story will wake a lot of people up to the
fact that there are still operating rovers on Mars. I'm sure the great majority of people will say "neat rock - looks like a man" just as they do for similar interesting rocks on Earth. Unfortunately it takes a fun, quirky, irreverent story like this to perk most peoples' interest in Mars exploration. Not a bad thing, I just wish the articles had included more on what the rovers' actual accomplishments in addition are. |
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Jan 23 2008, 07:36 PM
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#24
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 4418 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
Maybe I do worry too much, $0.02. Maybe I'm not giving people enough credit to see beyond the hype; hope so. Tell ya how it goes tomorrow...
-------------------- Yet as we leave, as we continue the often humbling maturation process of learning, it is wise to remember that we also have much to unlearn.
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Jan 23 2008, 07:46 PM
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#25
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 Member Group: Members Posts: 317 Joined: 18-July 05 From: Plymouth, UK Member No.: 437 |
I'm disappointed in the BBC's report on this story; it gives the nutcases a certain amount of credence they really don't deserve:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7205004.stm 
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Jan 23 2008, 08:16 PM
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#26
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 Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2044 Joined: 10-November 06 From: Research Triangle Park, NC Member No.: 1345 |
...and a buddy of mine sent me this today. Claims it's photographic evidence of water on Mars:
Photo_evidence_of_water_on_Mars.bmp ( 792.24K )
Number of downloads: 441(original source believed to be www.diaporamas-a-la-con.com) -------------------- Some higher resolution images available at my photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31678681@N07/
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Jan 23 2008, 08:32 PM
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#27
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 4418 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
FINALLY, after all these years...I can die a happy man now, thanks, Mike!
-------------------- Yet as we leave, as we continue the often humbling maturation process of learning, it is wise to remember that we also have much to unlearn.
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Jan 23 2008, 09:28 PM
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#28
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 Member Group: Members Posts: 266 Joined: 10-October 06 From: Maynard Mass USA Member No.: 1241 |
This ruckus of nutty speculations reminds me of the old saying:
"A lie will have sprinted half way around the world Before the truth can get its shoes on" keep the pressure on! -------------------- CLA CLL
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Jan 23 2008, 10:00 PM
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#29
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 Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1553 Joined: 17-January 05 Member No.: 152 |
And don't forget to tie your laces.
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Jan 23 2008, 10:14 PM
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#30
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 25 Joined: 21-November 06 From: JPL Member No.: 1381 |
You're all so wonderful to take on this topic. I'll be referring media calls (plenty coming in) to these pages for a dose of reality. Thanks again.
Veronica |
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