Opportunity Microscopic Camera Image

[tyroman]

One of the latest images from Opportunity (mib_color1_rgbstretch-B011R1.jpg) shows tiny spheres which are interesting... but did anyone else notice the several objects which seem to exhibit bi-lateral symmetry?

In the upper left quadrant of the picture, two objects appear to be identical in size and shape except that one is on its "back" and the other is on its "belly". They have the characteristic "butterfly" shape of (and I'm no crackpot) VERTEBRAE!

In the lower left quadrant of the picture is a third somewhat larger and less well-defined object (above and to the right of the golf ball shape) which also seems symmetrical.

True, these objects are very tiny, but are there natural, non-biological forces which might explain such bi-lateral symmetry?

[LURCH]

Are you referring to this picture (http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagedisplay/img_display.php?pic=h_mib_grey_02,0.jpg) ? Or perhaps this one (http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagedisplay/img_display.php?pic=h_mib_color_03.jpg) (same thing but in color)?

[tyroman]

Yes, that is a low resolution version of the one I refer to...

Go here:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040204a/mib_color1_rgbstretch-B011R1.jpg

for the 2meg picture which I viewed and see what you think.

[tyroman]

An up-date on the three objects which I observed...

They are now gone from view due to Opportunity placing its Mössbauer spectrometer directly on them.

To see a .gif before and after Opportunity's Mössbauer spectrometer touches the objects go to:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040206a/moss_touch_movie_br.gif

Of nine objects which disappear into the sand, three are the ones with bi-lateral symmetry... go figure.

PS: For some reason, the .gif images are rotated 180 deg. from the original .jpg images... so my reference to NW becomes SE etc. for the .gif's.