This is the famous 'Balancing Stone' site and NASA took many, many pictures of this lil 'ol rock from many angles. They even changed filters (the blue tinge is me)
I should like to focus your attention to a strange circumstance. Observe the "stone" and its shadow! We can see the shadow underneath it. This means that the bottom of this "stone" is narrower than its upper part, the area of the cross-section of this bottom part is less than of the upper part. I.e. its center of gravity is in the upper,weightier part. This means that this "stone" is in lability. Since its material is totally different from the material of rock under it, therefore they are two separated object. It can be suspected that this blue "stone" is placed here unnaturally. In the nature this position is impossible for long (for million years...)
Hi xirius welcome to the forum, that is a better quality image, the object reminds me of a meteorite, but having zoomed in on the object and reduced the contrast it looks like a raised cone of the underlying rock underneath it (the object may of been there for a vast amount of time while the underlying rock eroded, then again it may of been placed there).
The rock looks solid, and as papa said "it looks metallic" zoomed in the colours are stunning, with an almost iridescence pattern, and would fetch a fortune back on Earth.
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This stone has not only strange (artificial) shape, but it has a wonderful color too! See the attached color image. It seems that this site was one of the highlited sites during Spirit's expedition because the rover went here and there around this place.
-- Edited by Chandre on Monday 28th of May 2012 03:55:06 PM
Hi, the surface of the rock is curved which would create the curved shadow as seen, there is a bit of rock jutting out to the left which would cast a shadow on the curved surface below that is in keeping with the rock shape. Its so precariously balanced on the little ridge below it that it reminds me of a Zen picture, I'm amazed the wind has not blown it off as it has so many surfaces that could be affected by a wind. Wonder if Spirit picked it up and placed it there as an artistic touch LOL Its such an unusual shape and smooth texture, the kind of rock I would pick up and add to my collection if I saw it !
Hi... Here is Spirit Pan Cam 464... it shows a rock highlighted by red arrows and the shadow cast by the rock doesn't appear to be the same shape as the rock itself. What do you think? ARP2
Edited to insert image into text
-- Edited by Chandre on Wednesday 19th of May 2010 01:06:45 PM