levitating rock on Mars

[The One]

Here is an interesting one... a levitating rock on Mars? Not too far away, a circular stone formation? Ok, maybe it's a trick of lights and shadows -- but what's interesting is "the illusion" is captured on multiple photographs taken a short time apart.

http://theblackvault.com/m/photos/get_image/file/f0ff6ac6a941e90abe6b9d6c06f46dd8.jpg

http://theblackvault.com/m/photos/get_image/file/14a86459af2c7af4042234bafc4e0722.jpg

http://theblackvault.com/m/photos/get_image/file/821e7e9795764ceed9f9382d1213fceb.jpg

http://theblackvault.com/m/photos/get_image/file/d4cc3296eef406ca0e580d5f6e4172a4.jpg

What do you think?

And before anyone says Photoshop -- both NASA/JPL links are cited below for retrieve these photographs directly from them.

Original NASA Sources:
NRB_444283128EDR_F0260000NCAM00251M_.JPG (http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw/?rawid=NRB_444283128EDR_F0260000NCAM00251M_&s=527)
NLB_444283159EDR_F0260000NCAM00251M_.JPG (http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw/?rawid=NLB_444283159EDR_F0260000NCAM00251M_&s=527)

[KosmicKat]

Oh brother! I can't think of anything that would explain this!

[jimmer]

examining these photos – the only areas of solid black appear to be shadows.
all else are gray tones, creating 'shape'.

it appears that the black area below the 'suspended rock' is a projected shadow.

[777]

examining these photos – the only areas of solid black appear to be shadows.
all else are gray tones, creating 'shape'.

it appears that the black area below the 'suspended rock' is a projected shadow.

I thought this too. If you look at the shadows the majority are in front of the objects, as though the light source is behind all the rocks. Not so for the levitating rock and not so for the phallic looking rock on the right of picture 3. This indicates either multiple strong light sources or inconsistency in presentation of photographs.

[Spiral]

I think that "the shadow" is a rock that is coming "straight at" the camera so that only the shadow on the side face to the camera can be seen, creating an illusion.

The weird circle is a far more anomalous IMO

http://oi57.tinypic.com/5popwx.jpg

[BabaRa]

I think that "the shadow" is a rock that is coming "straight at" the camera so that only the shadow on the side face to the camera can be seen, creating an illusion.

The weird circle is a far more anomalous IMO

http://oi57.tinypic.com/5popwx.jpg


That's exactly what my eyes went to. Can't believe something that symmetrical was made by nature.

[The One]

Yeah tried to get a better close up with this pic i will try and find some more

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/proj/msl/redops/ods/surface/sol/00527/opgs/edr/ncam/NLB_444283159EDR_F0260000NCAM00251M_-br2.jpg

Just found some more

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/proj/msl/redops/ods/surface/sol/00527/opgs/edr/ncam/NLB_444282434EDR_D0251906TRAV00168M_-br2.jpg

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/proj/msl/redops/ods/surface/sol/00527/opgs/edr/ncam/NLB_444282320EDR_D0251896TRAV00168M_-br2.jpg

[777]

Oh my days. Here's me banging on about shadow positions and completely missed that. It's crazy what the trained eye glosses over isn't it?

[The One]

Some more of those round things on Mars

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/proj/msl/redops/ods/surface/sol/00528/opgs/edr/ncam/NRB_444375620EDR_F0260184NCAM00254M_.JPG
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/proj/msl/redops/ods/surface/sol/00528/opgs/edr/ncam/NRB_444375620EDR_F0260184NCAM00254M_.JPG

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/proj/msl/redops/ods/surface/sol/00528/opgs/edr/ncam/NRB_444367786EDR_D0260144TRAV00169M_.JPG

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/proj/msl/redops/ods/surface/sol/00528/opgs/edr/ncam/NRB_444367551EDR_D0260138TRAV00169M_-br2.jpg

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/msss/00528/mcam/0528MR0020830010303294E01_DXXX.jpg

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/msss/00528/mcam/0528ML0020830000203201E01_DXXX.jpg

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/proj/msl/redops/ods/surface/sol/00532/opgs/edr/ncam/NLB_444726402EDR_F0260208NCAM00256M_.JPG