Friday, November 2, 2012

I'm Not A Conspiracy Nut, But....

I'm either going to display my ignorance here, or ask a poignant question.

The question is What is supporting the camera that took this Mars Curiosity Rover self-portrait ?

Here is the picture in case the news article goes away.  I don't see anything extending left or right, under or over - From The Rover to the Camera between the camera and the rover.


 

26 comments :

  1. The web camcorder in the NASA Control Room don'ja-know.
    I had the NASA pictures of the moon landing.
    One picture was a backed off view and you could see the iron trusses of the metal building, that housed the stagesetup for the pictures-----makes one wonder if the other pictures of the moon landing were taken in the same building.
    I lost those pictures over the years, but do remember looking at them with a friend before losing them, and thought I had one of the earth in the background but my friend and I looked through them all and couldnot find it.
    Now don't know if that one earth shot pic was a figment of my imagination or I really had it.

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    1. They Say, Well, I think we landed on the moon, but when you get down to it, I don't know one way or the other. The most convincing argument is that there would have to be too many people in involved in a coverup of so many moon missions and surely someone would have spilled the beans.

      Anyway, I sure can't figure this picture at all.

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    2. Can't answer your Mars question, but it you go to an Observatory, you can see the equipment left on the moon, so that conspiracy pretty much dead in the water.

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    3. Rita, I certainly think the rover is on Mars, just thought it was an interesting question that probably had an answer and it looks like Fredd has it. The camera on the Crane mechanism that lowered the rover to the surface then moved off to a safe distance.

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  2. Maybe the guys that Shela Jackson-Lee said planted the flag on Mars took the Picture.

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    1. Hahah. I heard about that. No hope man. Seriously, no hope for us. I just want a break form the democrats for at least 4 years.

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  3. I think that is an excellent question.

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    1. Thanks Opus. Maybe there is some simple answer. If I see it, I'll post it.

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  4. Wait- I take it - that you do not trust our govt..nor any of its agencies--
    Am I right-
    C-CS

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    1. Carol-CS, Trust the government or its agencies ? No more than Thomas Jefferson did !

      But this post wasn't about that. Just an interesting question.

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  5. You've come to the right place, Kid. Ol' Fredd, who knows everything (just ask him) has the answer: when the rover first landed, it had a structure around it that was shed once the rover was safely on the Martian surface, and this photo was taken from a camera mounted on the now discarded landing structure.

    Now ask me what the meaning of life is. Go ahead, I'm ready.....

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    1. Fredd, I believe you have the answer. Please take one of the items from the top shelf sir.

      And no I didn't know this ahead of time myself.

      Ok, What is the meaning of life?

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    2. That's an easy one, Kid. The meaning of life is.... the meaning is....ack, can't feel my left arm, arrgh...think this is the Big One, Elizabeth (now clutching chest).....seeing the light on the other side....gurgle.....

      Thud.

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    3. Fredd, unless you voted early, Get Back Here Man. We need you on Tuesday!!

      The meaning of life is whatever your perception of it is and we all have a different one.

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    4. OK, I'm back. Unfortunately I am voting in Illinois, where dumb people rule. I will still cast my Mitt vote, though.

      Phew, that was a close one.

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  6. A better question than that, whose footprints are those to the right of the rover?

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  7. Average American, those are definitely Martian footprints. I remember the shape from watching Marvin the Martian back in the 60's. :)

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  8. I hate to be the one who breaks this to you, but ... well, those footprints are from the creature in Aliens. And what a coincidence this is! It just so happens that this is also the meaning of life. Go ahead, take a moment, and grab a pen. I’ll wait.

    (Waiting)

    (Waiting)

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    1. Mustang, You COULD be right. The universe is much bigger than our perceptions. Aliens, Hell yea. I did grab a pen but it complained so I put it back.

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  9. Just like Disneyland, there is always someone standing around willing to hold your camera for a memorable shot.

    The answer? FM (F%$^kin Magic)?

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    1. Admiral, I think Fredd has the answer, the rover strolled over near the landing crane which also had camera(s) on it.
      But who knows. :)

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  10. It's a composite shot, it took about 50 pictures of itself and each original picture has the camera's supporting arm in it, but in different places. NASA stitched them together to make a picture with no arms.

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    1. Also an excellent theory. Or fact.

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    2. forgot the link: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/multimedia/pia16063.html . NASA's imagery is really amazing, but it would be even better if they'd release the source images before they'd manipulated them. I expect the famous Apollo images were composites too.

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    3. Jez, Thanks for the link. Makes a lot of sense.

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