Shiny Metallic Looking Object Found On Mars

[Sonic 295]

Interesting story here. Some of shiny metallic object has been seen in some photos sent back by the Mars Curiosity Rover. Some suggest its just a screw or a something thats broke of the rover or these could be fake pictures.

 

http://gizmodo.com/5950185/what-is-this-shiny-metallic-thing-found-on-mars

 

What Is This Shiny Metallic Thing Found On Mars?

While grabbing its first scoop of Martian soil, the Mars Curiosity Rover team noticed a weird thing, something that was not supposed to be there: a bright object on the ground. What is it? NASA's scientists don't know yet.

 

The image—taken by the right Mast Camera during the mission's 61st Martian day—shows Curiosity's robotic arm's scoop full of sand and dust, waiting to be deposited inside its analysis unit. But, after looking closer at the photo, someone noticed that unusual bright piece.

 

The scooping operation was then halted and the rover was instructed to take a closer look of the object, which hasn't arrived yet to ground control.

 

NASA suspects that this may be piece of rover hardware, but they are not sure yet. Can it be some screw that got loose and fell off the rover? Just in case, Curiosity's team will wait until they get the close up of the object. That will help them "in assessing possible impact, if any, to sampling activities."

 

If it is a piece of the rover, I wonder how a lost piece can affect the rover's functions. JPL hasn't said anything about it yet.

 

The Mars Curiosity Rover landed successfully in Mars on August 6, 2012. So far, its operation has been flawless. [NASA]

 

 

 

 

[Plok 327]

Definitely a loose screw.

[Nmenth 291]

So what's the big deal? That if not a screw, it might be alien metal?

 

*Cue X-Files music*

 

 

Except other planets do have metals on them, Mars happens to have a lot of iron. So maybe it kind of looks like worked metal from the image rather than ore, but it would be ridiculous to jump to any conclusions based on one picture. Face on Mars anyone?

 

For all we know, it may not even be metal, it could be a fragment of silica glass.

[AZ-Stalker 88]

Don't they coat things like screws with something that prevents them from loosening up in space?

 

I, for example, put a small amount of clear nail polish (or whatever it's called) on certain screws that hold my replica (airsoft) M4 Carbine magazines from loosening up (to prevent internal loosening -> mechanical damage from prolonged use). It acts as a hardening agent of some sort, simply put it tigthens the area around the screw filling up the (very very tiny) leftover space. It's reversable by just unscrewing the thing (and cleaning the area) if I need to repair the magazine or clean it and doesn't cause any visible damage to the metal housing. So it's pretty practical.

 

I'm not well informed on how technicians tackle such problems for prolonged useage of anything that gets shot out into space. Though even coating a screw can't stop it from loosening during an impact of some sort, or maybe some vibrations.

 

Oh and just so I post something about the topic at hand, a piece of metal on another planet wouldn't surprise me. Hell even ruins or alien life (which are likely all covered up and kept secret ofcourse) wouldn't be big news either in my book. I'd be more surprised if people stopped hating/hurting/insulting/declaring war/killing and that sort of thing.

[Traymen 6]

I suppose, that Aliens disassemble this rover piece by piece for joke xD

[Doctor Destiny 41]

[PurpleGaga27 40]

I will not believe this rumor. Alien metal does not exist in Mars.

[Nmenth 291]

Right, because Mars is made out of plastic.

[Doctor Destiny 41]

I will not believe this rumor. Alien metal does not exist in Mars.

So what is it then? Earth metal? Of course it's alien metal, you buffoon. Just not... from alien beings.