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NASA Mars Rover Opportunity Grinds "Cool" Rock

Posted by timothy on from the dude-that-is-far-out dept.

coondoggie writes "While its sister rover Spirit has garnered most of the attention lately, NASA's other Mars traveler, Opportunity, is chewing up Martian dirt and unearthing the mineral and chemical makeup of the red planet. NASA scientists said this week the rover uncovered 'one of the coolest things Opportunity has found in a very long time:' a dark, basketball-sized rock known as 'Marquette Island.' According to NASA, the Marquette Island rock is a coarse-grained rock that indicates it cooled slowly from molten rock, allowing crystals time to grow. Such composition suggests it originated deep in the crust, not at the surface where it would cool quicker and have finer-grained texture, NASA stated."

7 of 70 comments (clear)

  1. Unearthing? by Scutter · · Score: 4, Funny

    Opportunity is chewing up Martian dirt and unearthing the mineral and chemical makeup of the red planet.

    Shouldn't that be "unmarsing"?

    --

    "Tell me doctor, with all of your defenses, are there any provisions for an attack by killer bees?"
    1. Re:Unearthing? by derGoldstein · · Score: 1, Funny

      it makes as much sense as naming their fist to-be colonized planet after a god of war.

      I named my fists Romulus and Remus. I hadn't considered colonizing them, however.

      --
      Entomologically speaking, the spider is not a bug, it's a feature.
    2. Re:Unearthing? by Rogerborg · · Score: 3, Funny

      I named my fists Romulus and Remus.

      I named my fists Kirk and... well, the second one doesn't need a name. Kirk wins. You want to go again? Kirk wins again.

      --
      If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
  2. Re:Two rovers, one stuck by montyzooooma · · Score: 2, Funny

    I agree. If Hollywood had been involved in these mission Opportunity would already have carried out a successful rescue mission.

  3. kirk fist, meet my feet by circletimessquare · · Score: 2, Funny

    chuck, and norris

    ROUNDHOUSE

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  4. Re:Rocks?!?!? by happy_place · · Score: 3, Funny

    Well this is Mars. There are a lot of them. Family Vacations on mars might be as exciting as driving through Nebraska.

    "I spy with my little eye, something red."

    "Is it... a rock?"

    "Your turn."

    (repeat ad nauseum)

    --
    http://www.beanleafpress.com
  5. Re:Opportunity Rocks by jgardia · · Score: 2, Funny

    metric or imperial days?