NASA cannot understand what kind of mysterious thing fell in sight of the Curiosity rover. Is it a cockroach?
A photo from open sources
All operations on Mars are temporarily suspended. And hardly due to some nonsense
“We just don’t know what it is!” – recognized by NASA. Other in other words, experts cannot identify the object yet, Photographed by the Curiosity robot at its own wheels.
Recall on the 61st Martian day (Sol 61 – October 7, 2012 on Earth) the robot scooped up Martian soil with a scoop. Camera, located on the bar (Mastcam), captured this historic moment. A filled scoop about 5 by 7 in size centimeters, the part of the robot and the surface on which it stands. And so on this surface, NASA experts made out some object, which clearly stood out from the surrounding background. Nobody, as they say, I didn’t pull on the tongue. Themselves said, they say, we see next to “Curiosity” something very strange – some bright object, as they called it – bright object.
A photo from open sources In this image (with a scoop) NASA experts noticed a strange object Photo: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS 
Photos from open sources. The object lies on Martian soil. Photo: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS 
Photo from open sources Enlarged shot of an object taken from the rover rod Photo: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS
If NASA had not reported this bright object, then it is unlikely who would have noticed. Gizmo – a little more than a centimeter in length. But attracted close attention. Moreover – fears. Because the discovering a bright object NASA experts suspended further operations. They didn’t even load the soil from the scoop into the analyzers for subsequent research. Although going to the next day.
Instead of exploring Martian soil, NASA has undertaken attempts to identify contraption. To do this, photographed her large plan using a special camera for microphotography (ChemCam: Remote Micro-Imager). But they did not recognize.
From afar – shot from the bar – the object looked like a cog. And it was assumed that he fell off the robot. What actually scared – suddenly the technology began to collapse.
The close-up made the bright object look like, excuse me, or a shrimp, or a cockroach. See for yourself.
It is common sense that there are no such large creatures on Mars must. Therefore, experts are looking for more plausible explanations. But until they find it. And sin, first of all, on plastic, a piece which fell on Martian soil.
A photo from open sources A picture of the object (it is in the center), taken a microphotography camera on October 8 at 7 p.m. time. What is not a cockroach? Photo: NASA / JPL-Caltech / LANL 
Photo from open sources Three hours later, the robot again photographed a “cockroach” Photo: NASA / JPL-Caltech / LANL 
Open source photo Enlarged photo taken by camera for microphotography Photo: NASA / JPL-Caltech / LANL
– We are now walking in circles around the double “Curiosity”, which stayed on Earth – says one of the drivers of the rover Scott Maxwell (Scott Maxwell), – trying to understand what could still fall off.
Lovers of conspiracy theories suggest: because of a tiny bit plastic – because of some nonsense – would not stop everything work. So, this is a serious matter. Maybe really found the corpse of a Martian cockroach? Or shrimp? And specialists Now they’re thinking how to shift the find into a scoop. And they fool us heads. Vladimir Lagovsky
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