An object about 20 centimeters across was first photographed NASA‘S curiosity rover in 2022 but never officially identified. avi loeb Says this should be Rover’s top priority. A Harvard University astronomer has called on NASA to redirect its Curiosity rover in 2022 to investigate a small, bright cylindrical object photographed on the surface of Mars that has never been officially identified. Avi Loeb flagged item post on medium on March 8, arguing that determining its origin should take priority over the rover’s current operations. The object was originally spotted by amateur Mars researcher Rami Bar Ilan while reviewing NASA’s collection of Curiosity images, and was later brought to Loeb’s attention by Dr. Jan Spacek of the Florida-based Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution.
What did you find, where did you find it?
The object was photographed by the Curiosity rover in Gale Crater near the Red Planet’s equator. It is described as having a perfectly round cylindrical shape, approximately 20 centimeters in length and with a flat top. Its shiny surface makes it stand out clearly against the rugged terrain of Mars, and some have compared its shape to a party hat lying on the ground. NASA has not officially identified or commented on the object. Reviewing the photos, Loeb wrote in his Medium post: “Should we assume the mysterious cylinder is man-made debris and move forward or turn the rover back to find out if it has a different origin?”
A raw image from the Mast Camera (Mastcam) aboard NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity, taken on 2022-08-07 20:58:23 UTC. (Image credit: Mars Analyst Notebook, NASA) via Medium
Despite presenting it as an open question, Loeb was clear about where he believed the evidence. “The most likely explanation is that it matches man-made debris,” he wrote. The most plausible candidates, based on how similar anomalies have been explained in the past, are components of Curiosity’s own landing system, parts of the sky crane mechanism, or the heat shield used during the rover’s 2012 descent to Mars, which may have been scattered or displaced by winds during landing. It is also possible that the object is a piece of wiring or wheel material left by the rover during its years of operation on the planet’s surface.
Why does Loeb want NASA to take action?
The Curiosity rover is currently exploring the lower slopes of Mount Sharp within Gale Crater, about eight kilometers from where the cylinder was photographed. At the rover’s maximum operating speed of 0.16 kilometers per hour, it will take a few days to return to the site. Loeb told the New York Post that the trip was worthwhile. He said, “In my opinion, NASA should prioritize going back to check the cylinder relative to the more mundane tasks being performed by the Curiosity rover.” “NASA is funded by taxpayers and if we polled taxpayers they would probably agree with me that understanding the origins of the mysterious cylinder should be Curiosity’s top priority.” The Curiosity rover is about the size of a small SUV, measuring about three meters long, 2.8 meters wide and 2.2 meters tall, weighing about 899 kilograms. It is equipped with a 2.1-meter robotic arm and 50.8 cm diameter wheels, and has been operating on Mars since its landing in August 2012.
This is not the only unusual finding
The cylinder isn’t the only notable object Curiosity has encountered in recent years. The rover accidentally broke a rock in the Geddes Wallis Channel and found pure yellow sulfur crystals inside, marking the first time sulfur has been found in its pure elemental form on Mars, according to science alert. The rover rolled over the rock, causing it to crack and reveal crystals. Photographs of the area show that there are many more such rocks nearby, indicating potentially significant sulfur deposits in the area. NASA has not responded publicly to Loeb’s call to redirect the rover to investigate the cylinder.
