that look out of focus sitting on the rocks. There are 2 of 'em that are on multiple images but not on the same spots on the frames. Almost looks like bugs that are moving during the exposure time. NAH.

They are from Opportunity.

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/galle...7P0135L0M1.JPG

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/galle...P0135R0M1.HTML

I wanted to look at JPL's Opportunity cameras, but the site is hosed right now. (If you're quick, you can enjoy the scrozzled page, too.)

From the second image that shows two such things, I believe I detect horizontal rover tread marks between the two clumps. I suspect they are deposits of soil that had clung to a wheel.

With more pictures, maybe we can figure out the path Opportunity took before the picture was shot.

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The forward hazcam has images:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/galle...nity_f312.html

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Everything I need to know I learned through Googling.

What are they? I think they are the Martian answer to the Devil's postpiles. Geology can be very cool! No glaciers on Mars but other forms of weathering (probably wind) might have achieved a similar formation? Just a guess, any geologists out there who can help with this one?

Oh duh! You're talking about the "little blurry" things! I thought you were talking about the rock formation! ops: Oops!

edited to clarify my error!

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An open mind is like an open window...without a good screen you'll get all sorts of weird bugs!

Hmm, they seem to have changed servers. I always used to shortcut my way to the now scrozzled:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/galle...portunity.html

Now if I go in through the main page, I get to here:

http://origin.mars5.jpl.nasa.gov/gal...portunity.html

Likewise, for Spirit, I used to go to (still working fine):

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/spirit.html

But, now the main page goes to this:

http://origin.mars5.jpl.nasa.gov/gal...ll/spirit.html

Wait. I just tried again to go through the main page and the raw images are at the old URLs I used. How did I get to those seemingly new ones? I'm so confused. Well, the "origin" URLs work better for me than the "marsrovers" right now.

Edit: I see from a Google search the origin.mars5.jpl.nasa.gov URLs have been around for a while. I must have just coincidentally been redirected there once. Still, the Opportunity raw images page works better there, for me, at least. I think I'll see if I can figure out what's different.

Later: Yep, the source at http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/galle...portunity.html is just broken. I see, or rather don't see, missing characters, unclosed HTML tags. I guess I'll inform the webmaster.

A day later: The brokeness at http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/galle...portunity.html is now gone for me. All is well.

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This pancam image shows one of the fuzzy blobs pretty good and they are looking more and more to me like little dirt piles. I still think they are most likely dry soil that clung to a wheel electrostatically that happened to fall off on the rock, like a clump of fine powder.



Others at Panoramic Camera :: Sol 314

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And, here is a pancam image of the other one. It clearly shows tread marks in the soil near it.



Again, more at Panoramic Camera :: Sol 314.

Edit: I just remembered the geometry of the wheels. They are sort of hollow cylinders, closed on the outside, and open on the inside, where the axel attaches to the rover. I wonder if instead of soil clinging to the ouside of the wheel, it hitched a ride inside the wheel and a little spilled out on the rock, a time or two.

Here is an image of how soil climbed inside one wheel during a trenching operation.

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I'm convinced. Good sleuthing Sherlock Holmes.