A Rock Like None Before, Brushed "Scientists viewed a rock like none seen before on Mars when NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit brushed the surface and took magnified images of this rock dubbed "Wishstone." The circular area of interest, measuring approximately 5 centimeters (2 inches) in diameter, revealed darker pieces of material randomly distributed within a lighter-colored matrix. The rock has poorly sorted granular material, with grain sizes ranging from fine to coarse and some grains that are very angular in shape. Spirit used its microscopic imager on martian day, or sol, 333 (Dec. 9, 2004) to take the four individual frames that are combined into this mosaic view." http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20041230a.html Curious are the dark, smooth inclusions apparent in the rock. These might be similar to the smooth, glassy inclusions seen by Spirit in Humphrey and Mazatzal rocks. Alternatively, they could be examples of, apparent, sedimentary films seen at the Opportunity site: From: rgregorycl...@yahoo.com (Robert Clark) Newsgroups: sci.astro,alt.sci.planetary,sci.geo.geology,sci.geo.mineralogy,sci.bio.misc Subject: Sedimentary films at Opportunity site. Date: 18 Mar 2004 16:26:04 -0800 http://groups-beta.google.com/group/sci.astro/msg/11a829ece45426b7 Clays perhaps? Bob Clark
Here are some examples of the inclusions I mean. They appear throughout the RATTed area: dark inclusions http://sciforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=3654 Bob Clark
NASA said another rock in Gusev was high in phosphorus: Wishing Well rock. Here is an MI of Wishing Well: http://www.lipfordm.com/wtsi/p-2M158146955EFFA269P2959M2M1-90.jpg The dark material around the right, inside rim of the RATTed area also appears to have the soft consistency as of clay. Bob Clark
Here is a close-up of part of this dark, soft material in this rock: dark, soft material http://sciforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=3690 Bob Clark
