NASA image

Sudanamaru · Post by **Sudanamaru** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 3:17 pm

I assure this image frame taken from JPL NASA site. Guess its origin, Earth, Moon or Mars?

Testiculese · Post by **Testiculese** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 3:44 pm

Neck and neck (and neck) in the second round!

Being B&W throws me off, so I'd guess Moon or Mars. I picked Moon.

Robo · Post by **Robo** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 4:00 pm

Earth. I've never seen moon pictures like that...And do you get rocks perched on others on Mars?

Sudanamaru · Post by **Sudanamaru** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 4:55 pm

A larger frame from the same image. (still not the complete image)

Testiculese, I guess you would not vote Moon if you saw this first.

Robo · Post by **Robo** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 6:00 pm

Looks a bit more like a Mars rock now, possibily an Earth rock in the desert. Or my house.

Testiculese · Post by **Testiculese** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 6:20 pm

I'm trying to decide if the upper left of the rock looks like a lion, a skull, or Africa

Duper · Post by **Duper** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 10:23 pm

ignios mating rituals ... hrm .. :

oh, sorry this isn't a caption thingymajig.

Jeff250 · Post by **Jeff250** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 1:19 am

Mars, since this is ultimately going to somehow be supposed evidence for life on it.

suicide eddie · Post by **suicide eddie** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 11:48 am

well large grained stuff in the background and they seem to evenly sized and spaced and the gaps between them arent filled in so sighs of wind and the rock shows sighs of solvent erosion it has a fine weathered
and lightly pitted look . fine grained rock with small pockets make it look like a balsalt need a better pic to tell more.

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 3:59 pm

No "blueberries", large sand particles. I would have to say that was a rock from our home planet.

Nitrofox125 · Post by **Nitrofox125** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 9:12 pm

Yeah rock looks like it has wind weathering and some kind of erosion on it's face.

Also if you look at the upper left of the rock, it looks like a dune line extending away from it.... so it has to be Earth or Mars.

WCHeyerdahl · Post by **WCHeyerdahl** » Sun Jul 25, 2004 11:20 pm

Mars!

Sudanamaru · Post by **Sudanamaru** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 9:57 am

MARS!
http://origin.mars5.jpl.nasa.gov/galler ... 3R1M1.HTML

Thank you for the poll and the opinions.

The purpose of the poll is what will be your response when you see an "dirty image" I think, which contains features which does appears in NASA published images.

Dirty, I mean, which can lead to speculations and to questions. I chose such an image having biogenic features. So the purpose of the poll was sociological.

I can guess reasons in voting as follow:

1. Earth ) Sociological: Biogenic (giving appearance of biologic entities) features recognizable with our everyday experience, would be released by a announcement by NASA, it would be not the Descent bb but NASA main page should be the place to see these images first if they are taken from another planet. Therefore this image should be earth based.

2. Earth ) Technological: Features on that images, rock, background, textures, biogenic features resemble earthy. Therefore I voted earth.

3. Mars ) Technological: I saw Mars images with general characteristic similar to that, so I think belong to Mars.

4. Mars ) Technological: There are biologic appearances on that image and I think there is a life there, therefore I voted Mars.

5. Mars) Logical: The poll would make little sense if the image was belong to earth, therefore Mars.

6. Mars ) Logical: Sud always post stuff (worms, threads, etc.) claiming life at Mars, therefore this would be one of this.

7. Moon ) Technological: High contrast of the (first image), casts, suggest absence of atmosphere, therefore Moon,

8. Moon ) Moon appears as a mysterious place to me, so would this image belong to moon.(this may equally apply to Mars votes)

Interpreting the result: You tell it!

Thank for detailed geological analyses offered. I think most are correct except the basalt like appearance is not to basalt origin but to the beaded string kind buildup on the rock.

Lothar · Post by **Lothar** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 2:50 pm

Another possibility:

9) Random guess, because none of us has the necessary expertise to actually determine the origin of such a picture. This is why the guys at NASA make big bucks and we don't.

suicide eddie · Post by **suicide eddie** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 3:24 pm

10)i didnt vote, need more data before making conclusion.

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 3:51 pm

The fractal formation of the appearance of rocks means your poll is pointless. Rocks are rocks - and look the same on every planet/planetoid.

Look at a rock. Now look at a mountain. Now look at really tiny rock. Notice that you can rotate your rocks until they all appear basically the same albeit at different scales. This is the nature of fractals.

And, knowing your delusions about Mars - the answer is obvious.

Lothar · Post by **Lothar** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 4:07 pm

kind of reminds me of the "arse or elbow" site... (google for it if you don't know what I'm talking about.)

In short: there are a lot of things that are hard to tell apart in photos of certain quality levels. If you ask people without sufficient expertise, the results of your question will be mostly drawn from the following:
1) purely random guesses
2) guesses based on psychological reasons like "I think he's trying to fool me" or "I think he's trying to support some other point"
3) guesses based on particular features of the image that may or may not have any relevance whatsoever

What you're unlikely to find is:
4) careful and complete analysis

unless you happen to find someone who's either or NASA scientist or has an elbow fetish

Sudanamaru · Post by **Sudanamaru** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 4:44 pm

Mobius,

"The fractal formation of the appearance of rocks means your poll is pointless. Rocks are rocks - and look the same on every planet/planetoid."

Please look to the first image carefully. There is something like a rope piece. For example if you looking for a rope piece in your yard, and see something like just it appears on this picture, I guess you will will check it.

But, really, may many voters did not noticed or supposed rope like things can be exist anywhere just like a rock or dust.

But... Why there are significant votes to Earth instead of Mars, do you think?

If you want I will calculate to probability of this result in the case all votes are randomly given.

Lothar this is also true for you. Too decisive to be random

Sudanamaru · Post by **Sudanamaru** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 6:19 pm

Lothar your points except 1 are relevant. But the conclusive votes result obtained require an visible reason that majority agree. Dont you think so?

NASA image

Guess its origin, Earth or Mars?

NASA image