Opportunity Mission Update Thread

[JonClarke]

Ammonium chloride is a very rare mineral, I have heard of, let alone encountered it. But apparently it does occur naturally, for example in fumeroles in Italy and Afghanistan, and it burnt coal waste in the eastern US.<br /><br />Given recent discussion of mineral catalysed synthesis of ammonia by UV, and tha abundance of chlorine on mars and especially at Meridiani, I wonder if formation (and more importantly preservation) sal ammoniac is indeed possible, despite is volatility?<br /><br />But I would probably go for a wide range of other salts first. Mg, Na, Ca, even K, are going to be much more abundant I suspect than NH3.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[exoscientist]

Anyone know if the alpha mode on the APXS was used on this deposit yet?<br /><br /> Bob <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[thechemist]

Fangsheath,<br />Are you sure this is "razorback" material ? <br />In the image below I have indicated where Oppy starting using its instruments. Maybe some rocks there are razorback chunks.<br /><br />But then : Isn't razorback material supposed to be different from berries-forming rock, and eroding much slower ?<br />How can a razorback rock have berries on it ? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>I feel better than James Brown.</em> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

It looks foggy. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[thechemist]

Jon, Silylene,<br />When data are not available, one can only speculate.<br />As mentioned in a previous post in this thread, Mg, Na, Ca, and K<br />concentrations do not raise acompanying Cl- (or so is implied in the short glimpse provided by the latest press-release) as we go deeper in Endurance.<br />What is the cation then ?<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>I feel better than James Brown.</em> </div>

 

[thechemist]

It's at least as foggy as the cations' elemental distribution at this location <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>I feel better than James Brown.</em> </div>

 

[silylene old]

TheChemist: Iagree, identifying the cation will be very interesting. Like you, I think the cation won't be sodium or potassium, which are so ubiquitous on Earth. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><em><font color="#0000ff">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</font></em> </div><div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><font color="#0000ff"><em>I really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function.</em></font> </div> </div>

 

[fangsheath]

This Hazcam shot is perhaps a little more clear. There is no doubt in my mind that the MI is of "razorback" material. It is one of several taken of the flat, loose pieces in this image. It would not surprise me to find blueberries imbedded in this material, particularly along the edge where it originally made contact with the adjacent rock.

 

[JonClarke]

The Chemist<br /><br />Whoops! I forgot that. Why not iron? We know there is a lot about, has it been mentioned? Or aluminium? Never heard of an AlCl3 mineral, but maybe one does exist. But we are running out of options!<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[silylene old]

Jon, I had googled FeCl3 or AlCl3 minerals, but could find no examples that these are found as minerals. But, for example, aqueous HCl can react with Fe2O3 to form FeCl3.<br /><br />FeCl3 or AlCl3 would be very interesting minerals. These are great Lewis acid catalysts for electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions, and can help catalyze more complex organics out of simpler starting materials. I don't think these catalysts are operant in any Terran biologies. But it's just an interesting concept to ponder for a speculative alien biology. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><em><font color="#0000ff">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</font></em> </div><div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><font color="#0000ff"><em>I really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function.</em></font> </div> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

I dug into Pierre Perroud's Athena Mineralogy page (http://un2sg4.unige.ch/athena/mineral/mineral.html) and came up with a few candidates:<br /><br />Molysite [FeCl3]<br /><br />Hydromolysite [FeCl3.6H2O]<br /><br />Kremersite [NH42FeCl5.H2O]<br /><br />Zirklerite [Fe9Al4Cl18(OH)12.14H2O]<br /><br />Rohkunite [FeCl2.H2O]<br /><br />Lesukite [(Al,Fe)2(OH)5Cl.2H2O]<br /><br />These are all very rare, and as far as I could assertain, are known mainly from hydrothermal or fumerolic environments. There were a few other Fe and Al bearing chlorides but these were either associated with common K, Na, Mg, etc., or unlikely cations like Pb, Sr.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[fangsheath]

Here is our most recent RAT hole. I have rotated the MI so that it approximates the orientation of the Pancam shot.

 

[Leovinus]

I swear those blueberries look like fungi colonies in a petri dish. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[radarredux]

Darn, you beat me to the post. Maybe it is just my amateur experience, but this rat hole looks quite a bit different than the other ones I have seen (which usually have a flat bottom). It almost look like the hole tapped into a relatively hollow space. Here are some additional links:<br /><br />http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/micro_imager/2004-07-24/1M143905332EFF3336P2957M2M1.JPG<br />http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/micro_imager/2004-07-24/1M143906374EFF3336P2957M2M1.JPG<br />http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/micro_imager/2004-07-24/1M143906199EFF3336P2957M2M1.JPG<br />http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/micro_imager/2004-07-24/1M143905929EFF3336P2957M2M1.JPG<br />http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/micro_imager/2004-07-24/1M143905695EFF3336P2957M2M1.JPG<br />

 

[dtb99]

<br />That is interesting!<br /><br />Not only are there more voids, but the structure is on a more fine scale (compared to the little blobs in the matrix in other layers), and, it isn't linear, it is "swirly" for lack of a better word.<br /><br />I'm not sure what that means, maybe a different sort of depositional environment.<br /><br />I'd be very curious to know what happens if you drill further down -- do you eventually get something more solid (i.e., it is just a very uneven top surface), or do you get that swirly, void-filled texture all through it?

 

[JonClarke]

It certainly looks like an open crack or void of some kind.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[jaredgalen]

Put together a collage of the MI images.<br />Thought ye might like to have it.<br /><br />jG

 

[jaredgalen]

MI images from today

 

[thechemist]

Isn't the soil very different at Oppy's present position ?<br />So many interesting features: the tracks on the <irony/ignorance /> completely dry </irony-ignorance> soil, the texture of the rock on the middle left, the bright thing on top left (is it a rat hole ?)<br /><br />http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/navcam/2004-07-30/1N144178035EFF3352P1961R0M1.JPG<br /><br />And what about MIs like this one ?<br /><br />http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/micro_imager/2004-07-30/1M144340347EFF3370P2907M2M1.JPG<br /><br />Pretty interesting stuff ! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>I feel better than James Brown.</em> </div>

 

[thechemist]

Two nice images of double-decker berries.<br />Plus one poor berry that the host rock just won't let go yet (in the 2nd).<br /><br />http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/micro_imager/2004-07-30/1M144340055EFF3370P2907M2M1.JPG<br /><br />http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/micro_imager/2004-07-30/1M144339407EFF3370P2907M2M1.JPG <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>I feel better than James Brown.</em> </div>

 

[earth_bound_misfit]

"I swear those blueberries look like fungi colonies in a petri dish" <br /><br />or an exploded Marstian bean bag <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------- </p><p>Wanna see this site looking like the old SDC uplink?</p><p>Go here to see how: <strong>SDC Eye saver </strong>  </p> </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

Ok now, I'm going to bug you all about something that's been bugging me. The strange, half-dome shaped rock that was seen in front hazcam images as Opportunity desended Karatepe and which the rover has since bypassed as it followed Razorback further into the crater.<br /><br />I say 'strange' because -- and this is what bugs me -- this dark-shaded half-dome shape looks the same from below (in the crater) as it did from above. Here I show two views of 'half-dome'. <br />First, as seen while desending toward it (Razorback can be seen to its left in the image). The image on the right shows 'half-dome' from below (Razorback is now to the right of 'half-dome'). <br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

The mystery deepens. Here is a view from across Endurance toward Karatepe. 'Half-dome' is indicated with the large white arrow, Razorback with the small white arrows. <br /><br />The yellow arrow on the right shows the direction from which 'half-dome' was viewed while decending Karatepe (the left image in my previous post). The yellow arrow on the left shows the direction from which 'half-dome' is viewed in the right-hand image in my previous post.<br /><br />Notice that from this <i>third</i> angle, 'half-dome' has the same appearance as in the other two views. I'm having a hard time imagining the three-dimentional shape (or the optical illusion) that would give such results.<br /><br />Also, it's curious that in images take from three very different directions, the viewed side of 'half-dome' is always in shadow. To employ an oft-used phrase in these message boards: What are they hiding from us? <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br />I couldn't resist, but I really am serious about my mystification concerning 'half-dome'. Is no one else curious about this object? Do you all find it uninteresting, or have you got it figured out? I wish more attention had been paid to it. Maybe on the way out.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[thechemist]

Hi centsworth_II,<br />I think the following image shows the half-dome under good lighting conditions, on the right.<br /><br />http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/1/n/171/1N143374719EFF3300P1921R0M1.HTML<br /><br />I can't see the images you posted yet, could you provide some links ? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>I feel better than James Brown.</em> </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

Thanks, Chemist. I had seen that rock in the navcam images before but didn't even recognize it. It looks like the rock is shaped roughly like a three-sided pyramid and the three views I mentioned each are looking at a different one of its faces.<br /><br />I'm still curious as to how this one rock has ended up in a totaly different orientation from all around it. It doesn't look like it rolled down from above. Has it been sitting like that ever since Endurance was formed, or has it been slowly pushed up by some process?<br /><br />View from above:<br />http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/1/f/169/1F143187108EFF3225P1221R0M1.HTML<br /><br />View from below (in distance):<br />http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/1/r/181/1R144257498EFF3370P1312R0M1.HTML<br /><br />From across Endurance (on left, below layered rocks, colored line pointing toward it):<br />http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040615a/12-SM-02-Karatepe-B140R1.jpg<br /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>