Curiosity's Latest High-Res Photo Looks Like Earth 215
New submitter bbianca127 writes "Curiosity sent a picture down to us, and it looks a lot like Earth. Actually, the picture's color quality has been changed — to human eyes, the landscape would look a lot more reddish. Still, it looks remarkably like the southwestern United States (bringing to mind the Arrested Development quote about how Lucille Bluth would rather be dead in California than alive in Arizona)." Definitely a different sense of the place than the one given by the reddish-brown posters I remember from elementary school.
Great summary (Score:5, Funny)
Especially the part that mentions where the photo is from.
That's because it IS earth. (Score:5, Funny)
How much more do we need before the public accepts that it's just a few guys driving around Nevada?
Re:That's because it IS earth. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:That's because it IS earth. (Score:5, Funny)
How much more do we need before the public accepts that it's just a few guys driving around Nevada?
I would accept a beer can in one of the photos as evidence.
Re:That's because it IS earth. (Score:5, Funny)
What else would it look like? (Score:2, Funny)
Earth is a big place. You can pretty much guarantee that any rocky planet will have parts that look like other rocky planets. When will we get any science? We KNOW the place is a reddish, dusty, rocky desert. Move on.
Mind blown! (Score:1, Funny)
So rocks on Mars, when coloured to look as they would if on Earth, look like rocks on Earth. Obviously this must mean that Martian rocks and Earth rocks share a common ancestor! Once again, Slashdot tackles the tough science questions that other media don't dare touch.
Re:Great summary (Score:0, Funny)
Curiosity is a robot, I don't see a photo of a robot there, so...
It's been ADJUSTED to look like Earth. (Score:5, Funny)
From the article:
> The colors in this image are not what a human standing on Mars would see — the presence of dust in the atmosphere would make the scene appear much redder. Instead, the pictures have been white-balanced to show how it would appear under typical Earth lighting conditions.
So the story is that a photo of Mars that has been adjusted so it looks like Earth to make it easier for geologists to interpret... looks like Earth. Wow.
Re:What else would it look like? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:impossibly obscure, personal cultural refences (Score:4, Funny)
Yeah really, I was thinking more like:
Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies
Don't fence me in
Let me ride through the wide open country that I love
Don't fence me in
Let me be by myself in the evenin' breeze
And listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees
Send me off forever but I ask you please
Don't fence me in
Interesting perspective. I'm a hiker and I'd love to hike Mars. All these photos are tantalizing, to imagine some of the great vistas available, which only a robot can see for the present.
Some day the Sierra Club will be trying to protect areas of the planet, to keep open and undeveloped. Trails will descend into Valles Marineris and there will be campgrounds. No scorpions, no rattlesnakes. A trail or two will ascend Olympus Mons and even in daylight you will be able to see the brighter stars and constellations. The hint for every martian Geocache will be under a pile of rocks. It'll be a glorious place to wander. I'm seriously envious of those who will enjoy all Mars has to offer, aside from just another place for the human race to populate and industrialize.
Keep Mars Clean - Pack Your Trash
Red Planet Night Fighters
Re:third parties? (Score:5, Funny)
I don't think Opportunity [wikipedia.org] has been wasted at all....
Re:impossibly obscure, personal cultural refences (Score:5, Funny)
Almost heaven, Martian winter,
CO2 ice, rusty frozen water
Light of Deimos in thin red sky
Just can't breathe here, think I'm gonna die
Take me home, Martian road,
to that place far from home
Marineris, Mount Olympus
Take me home, Martian road.
Re:That's because it IS earth. (Score:5, Funny)
"I would accept a beer can in one of the photos as evidence."
Sorry, all they've found so far are Budweiser and Coors Light cans. But the search continues.
Re:impossibly obscure, personal cultural refences (Score:4, Funny)
Re:third parties? (Score:5, Funny)
(Which is a completely wasted opportunity.)
In fairness, they are forsaking their advertising Opportunity [nasa.gov] out of the Spirit [nasa.gov] of Curiousity [nasa.gov], I suspect ;)
Re:impossibly obscure, personal cultural refences (Score:3, Funny)
Re:White-balanced (Score:4, Funny)
The sundial's stripes are just one of several markings on the rover. I would expect a known black to be somewhere.
he's busy running the country right now.
(just a bit of humor, don't take it the wrong way.)