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Odd!!
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| Form&Funktion |
I spotted this on ABC News online:
Mystery Martian cleans US space buggy
An unexplained phenomenon akin to a space-borne car wash has boosted the performance of one of the two US rovers probing the surface of Mars, New Scientist magazine said.
It said something - or someone - had regularly cleaned layers of dust from the solar panels of the Mars Opportunity vehicle while it was closed down during the Martian night.
The cleaning had boosted the panels' power output close to their maximum 900 watt-hours per day after at one stage dropping to 500 watt-hours because of the heavy Martian dirt.
By contrast, the power output of the solar panels of Mars Spirit - on a different part of the Red Planet - had dropped to just 400 watt-hours a day, clogged by the heavy dust.
"These exciting and unexplained cleaning events have kept Opportunity in really great shape," the magazine quoted NASA rover team leader Jim Erickson as saying.
-Reuters
NOTE: My first thought is that it was just the work of surface winds but NASA states the "cleanings" only occur at night.......very odd even for natural causes. |
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| bARTovsky |
How the heck did Swiffer get all the way up there..?!?
:toothless
but seriously, that is interesting.... do these solar panels move at all...? that could contribute to some of the dust falling off if not all....
Also, temperature differences from day to night maybe.. :conf: |
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| Form&Funktion |
NASA seems sufficiently baffled to rule out mechanical means and if wind physics on Mars is like that of Earth, a strong gust would only worsen the problem by kicking up the fine dusty surface....akin to a sandstorm in the desert.
I wonder if a form of radiation or sound frequency is the source, like the use of ultrasound baths to sterilize medical implements. |
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| Jem_hadar |
| quote: | Originally posted by bARTovsky
How the heck did Swiffer get all the way up there..?!?
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That'd be a great advertising for Swiffer, eh ? Wow! How versatile! You really CAN use it ANYWHERE!!!
EDIT: Yea, on a side note, that really is cool... i wonder whuts really happening... very facinating! |
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| bARTovsky |
| quote: | Originally posted by Jem_hadar
That'd be a great advertising for Swiffer, eh ? Wow! How versatile! You really CAN use it ANYWHERE!!! |
LOL, even have that same lady from the commercial dancing around the solar panels..... :haha:
The ultrasound frequency theory sounds quite possible.
Unless of course NASA just overlooked some malfunction that causes the probe to vibrate periodically and effectively dust itself off... :p |
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| Orko |
wow that is super cool, go aliens!
i wonder when NASA will just come out and say, ok there are aliens out there, and we have known about them for sometime.
i think people are ready to handle contact with another form of life. |
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| Form&Funktion |
| quote: | | i think people are ready to handle contact with another form of life. |
If human females are willing to date Diabolic.....THEN YES.
j/k :haha: |
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| Fir3start3r |
| quote: | Originally posted by VERTiG0
It's frost. |
Jack Frost? :eek: |
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| StereoPrincess |
| quote: | Originally posted by Form&Funktion
If human females are willing to date Diabolic.....THEN YES.
j/k :haha: |
ahahahaha. but are they? we don't know cuz we never here from these "ladies". |
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| rabbitjoker |
| quote: | Originally posted by VERTiG0
It's frost. |
You are very smart. |
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| RobbyG. |
| quote: | Originally posted by VERTiG0
It's frost. |
Very interesting theory:toocool: |
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