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Martian Rock Found In Morocco

Posted by simoniker on from the red-planet-visits-here dept.

daeley writes "The BBC is reporting that a rock found in 2001 in Morocco is originally from Mars, similar in composition to the 1977 Antartica find. 'The meteorite would have been blasted off the Red Planet by an impact and may hold clues to Mars' watery past... scientists say the fragments are magmatic rocks. Magmatism is the main process by which water moves from the core of planets to their surface.'"

19 of 203 comments (clear)

  1. So after sending Spirit millions of miles... by bc90021 · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...we find another Martian rock here on Earth. For those of you that don't think fate doesn't have a sense of irony, I think that this story proves it. ;)

    --
    libertarianswag.com
  2. Why go to Mars? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Obviously it's a waste to be spending so much on sending robots to Mars. Why not send the robots to Morocco instead? Talk about saving money on airfare!

  3. millions of dollars by giraphe · · Score: 0, Funny

    Good thing we spent millions of dollars to get a piece of rock TO Mars.

  4. Cool! by ZipR · · Score: 5, Funny

    Instead of us having to go to Mars, Mars is coming to us!

  5. Magmatism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    Magmatism is the main process by which water moves from the core of planets to their surface.
    You mean volcanos just spew out water? Woo-hoo! Time to move to Hawaii!!
  6. Magmatism by deuist · · Score: 3, Funny
    "Magmatism is the main process by which water moves from the core of planets to their surface."

    I thought that magnetism was a process that involved two pieces of metal being attracted to each other. Oh, you said magmatism ...

  7. War of the Worlds by grungebox · · Score: 3, Funny
    Maybe those rocks are the results of primitive Martian interplanetary weapons tests. After all, they have to make sure mere rocks can make it here before they send plasma-nuclear-hyper-transmogrifying-death bombs, right?

    Oh geez, I better load up on duct tape if the fucking Martians are coming.

    1. Re:War of the Worlds by afidel · · Score: 2, Funny

      Nah, it's just the testing phase for a bigger version. They don't need plasma-nuclear-hyper-transmogrifying-death bombs if they can scale their rock thrower up to a big enough size because really large rocks moving at interplantary speeds is just as effective at killing as the much more expensive plasma-nuclear-hyper-transmogrifying-death bombs. See that's why the rock is magnetic, the mass driver has to use ferous materials =)

      --
      There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
  8. It's only fair... by QSO_Wizard · · Score: 5, Funny

    the Earth is littering Mars with spacecraft debris. Mars just wants a little payback.

  9. More importantly... by paul248 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Did they find Beagle 2 on it?

  10. Suspicious.... by Ironica · · Score: 4, Funny

    From the article: The team that found it was led by experienced meteorite hunters Carine Bidaut and Bruno Fectay, who have now found six rocks from Mars - a record.

    Interesting that they seem to know *just* where to find Martian rocks.

    Quick! Get them! They're Martian spies!

    --
    Don't you wish your girlfriend was a geek like me?
  11. Re:That explains it by mars_rover · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's odd... the piece of Mars I have on my desk is composed of entirely different substances: Milk Solids (40%), cocoa, emulsifiers, caramel, glucose etc. Scientists believe that it came from the Mare Saccharum region on Mars...

  12. Dang... by Kenja · · Score: 1, Funny

    Dang, I was wondering where I left that. Wonder what type of paper work I would need to do to get it back.

    --

    "Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
  13. Re:I wonder if... by mars_rover · · Score: 2, Funny

    Bacteria are particularly tough and anaeorobic species can surivive in the interior of rocks for an obscenely long amount of time without access to outside nutrients. Sounds like the boffins Bill has locked up in Redmond coding Longhorn...

  14. It is possible... by Ghengis · · Score: 2, Funny

    However unlikely, it is entirely possible to find such a rock... the kicker would be finding a dinosaur fossil from earth on Mars!

    --

    "The best laid plans of mice and men gang oft agley..." - ROBERT BURNS

    1. Re:It is possible... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      No, the real kicker would be Spirit driving over a hill and seeing a half-buried Statue of Liberty.

      As they say in the movies, "YOU MANIACS! YOU BLEW IT UP! DAMN YOU! GOD DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!!"

  15. Re:That explains it by MrFreshly · · Score: 2, Funny

    3rd reason...Because it has "Made in Mars" stamped on the bottom.

  16. Memo by cubicledrone · · Score: 4, Funny

    Better turn down the power on Spirit's drive wheels.

    --
    Business isn't willing to pay for products, innovation and careers, so we get brands, mortgage commercials and layoffs.
  17. Re:So? by toxic666 · · Score: 2, Funny

    What is a hell of a lot cheaper?

    Flying Mars rocks back to earth? Flying an kewl earth lab, all its equipent and employees to Mars? Flying people to Mars to collect rocks and bring them back to earth?

    PLEASE send me some of the 'shrooms you ate before posting that comment.