Apologies if this has already been covered...



I saw the above image from Opportunity. I'm sorry, but I can't find where it originally came from, but I wondered about this rock's odd shape. ANy ideas?

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A-ha!

Found the original images!

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/galle...nce-A160R1.jpg

(26MB)

It's at Endurance crater. It's on the left-hand side about a third of the way up. You can't miss it. If you scroll across to the right, there's a similar, thin rock (I'm assuming they're rocks...lol) on the right hand side. It looks like Opportunity has run over it, making it sproing (technical term.. heh heh) into the air.

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Ah. From Opportunity pancam, Sol 123 high on the southeastern rim of Endurance crater.

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Odd shape? Well it's uplift or throwout from an energetic crater-creation event, and it's been sitting there since, well exposed to the wind. It looks like at some point it fractured along a bedding plane to produce the straight edge, and soil under the edge is removed by wind to maintain the slight cantilever.

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sure, but probably enough for RHC to claim an ancient driveway... :roll:

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I was thinking more of an errant ceiling tile..lol

Thanks for the explanation.

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