"Celtic Cross" Or "Tool Mark" Just A Screw Imprint From APXS Unit On Opportunity
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- Category: Mars
- Written by Will Farrar
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About three months ago I had received an email from a YouTube subscriber of mine that had a link to this raw image on the Opportunity Rover Raw Images download page and was STOKED! I bit hard on the goods and rushed to make a video breaking all of my rules for making a video. I was so excited and wanted it to be true. After I had made the video I started to do a little research on the Microscopic Imager when it dawned on me and I realized what had happened and how this looks so cool. The anomaly is not made by ancient aliens from Mars but it is the final product of an illusion created by the bottom of the APXS Unit (Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer) briefly contacting the fine shavings left behind by the Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) and leaving the imprint of A phillips head screw head that holds the instrument together.
Scale is another big factor here. How big is this supposed Celtic Cross? Well most Rover pictures are not easy to come up with a scale due to the many factors. The Microscopic Imager is a specialty tool used to take precise, up close and magnified pictures so scale can be guessed easier then an image from another one of the Rovers cameras. Designed to simulate a geologist’s hand lens, the Microscopic Imager cameras were mounted on the rovers’ instrument arms. The Microscopic Imager routinely observed targets that were investigated by the other ARM instruments to study surface details, to provide context for the spectrometer data, and to examine the results of rock abrasion tool (RAT) brushing and grinding activities. My estimate is that if this “Celtic Cross” was sitting in front of you it would only be about a centimeter or so in diameter. There was no more convincing myself it was anything other then a screw imprint. I immediately took the video down and apologized to my viewers for misleading them.
The months have rolled by and now the image is back again making its way around the internet websites as A “Celtic Cross” on Mars. I certainly know that I was fooled the first time I saw the anomaly so I figure this most likely happens to a lot of people. As a channel owner who handles abstract images all the time I understand that most of the comparisons I make on a certain “Mars Anomaly” is going to be nothing but pure speculation at its best. My viewers know this and I think they watch my videos and trust me to give them all the information I have so I decided to make sure anyone who watches the WhatsUpInTheSky37 channel would know that there is no “Celtic Cross” on Mars. At least not one being photographed by the Microscopic Imager on the Opportunity Rover!
YouTube User: WhatsUpInTheSky37
Description:
I am a fan of UFOvni2012's and Dahboo77 's channels as I have commented on them a lot and enjoy watching the newest videos as they come out. I really do not like to make videos where I use the word "debunked" in the title but when something I see is cut and dry and not abstract like many things we look at here on my channel I feel a need to make sure we all keep each other honest and supporting good research. I myself had even made a video about this 4 or 5 months ago when a viewer had noticed that tool mark on this SOL. We later found more SOL's with similar marks and the grand "debunker" was the photographs of the APXS and overview of work that day which mentioned the use of the spectrometer. If you have any comments or links please leave them below!
NASA Original "Celtic Cross" - http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mer/gallery/all/1/m/3720/1M458433075EFFCEQKP2935M2M1.JPG
WUITS Debunk Graphic: http://www.whatsupinthesky.com/images/APXS_WUITS.jpg
UFOvni2012's Original Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjHcNoHzj30 (There are a lot more videos and websites running this as real, I am not picking on my buddies over at UFOvni2012!
DAHBOO77 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&list=UUFjOi1ZpZVErr8EYxg8t1dQ&v=K-T7GtsC8lI
Debunking image that I created for facebook:
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The Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) On Opportunity Rover *Notice The Screws* :
Similar imprint made by the sister craft "Spirit Rover" sent to me by a viewer. No link provided.
Similar image I found browsing the Microscopic Imager image library: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mer/gallery/all/1/m/1918/1M298459795EFFA312P2996M2M1.JPG
Original NASA File: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mer/gallery/all/1/m/3720/1M458433075EFFCEQKP2935M2M1.JPG
Thank you for taking your time to read this article and even if you do not agree with my findings I still hope that you enjoyed the brief tour of the Martian landscape! A thank you is also in store to everyone who has helped with the spacial images and has spent their time researching these taboo subjects so we can all move forward with more information and understanding. If you have a space image or something else related that you would like analyzed feel free to email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit http://www.whatsupinthesky.com for more contact information and more space anomalies.
Will Farrar – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – http://www.youtube.com/whatsupinthesky37
Find Me On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/willfarrar
Before It's News Link: http://beforeitsnews.com/space/2014/11/ancient-celtic-cross-or-tool-mark-on-mars-mystery-has-been-solved-2485040.html
