Birdman of Mars - Is This Proof Enough

[rdunk]

Recently, while searching through Rover Opportunity photos, I found a significant Mars anomaly, which I have dubbed "Birdman of Mars". I was a little shocked when I saw it, because it is so different, in the surroundings. Also, it is "just a little out there", for what it presents to my generally normal thinking. I have not seen this posted before, and I have thought about it, and have waited about three weeks to post it for everyone else. Of course, the question in the subject is a bit of a "teaser", but this "Birdman" does settle it for me, relative to whether there is other intelligent life outside planet Earth. Absolutely yes!

Now, I am going to give as much information as I can about this anomaly, so that everyone will have a good basis to start from, in reviewing this anomaly post. I found the Birdman in photos in Rover Opportunity Sol day 2171. I will be posting direct links to the Rover photo, an well as screen shots. The Birdman also is found in Rover Opportunity SOL day 2173, and I will post a direct link for that also.

First, I will provide the Mission Manager's Reports for the SOL days associated the Rover Opportunity Photos that I will be discussing and posting. I will also provide a link to the complete Manager's Report for all Opportunity SOL days, for your future reference. http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status_opportunityAll.html

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sols 2158-2165, February 18-25, 2010: Investigating Material Ejected From Young Crater

Opportunity is located near the very young crater "Concepción."

The rover has been investigating the ejecta material around the crater, with some rocks exhibiting a dark rind. On Sol 2158 (Feb. 18, 2010), Opportunity continued the in-situ investigation of the rock target, "Chocolate Hills." The robotic arm (IDD) was used to collect a Microscopy Imager (MI) mosaic of the surface target "Dano" before placing the Mössbauer (MB) spectrometer on the target "Tears." On the next sol, the robotic arm was retracted from the rock and a panoramic camera (Pancam) image was taken, before the Mössbauer spectrometer was placed down on the target Dano.

On Sol 2161 (Feb. 21, 2010), Opportunity drove away from Chocolate Hills rock and headed toward one of Concepción's dramatic ejecta rays. The rover drove about 12 meters (39 feet) towards some rocks exhibiting the interesting dark rinds. A 4.6-meter (15-foot) closer approach was performed on Sol 2163 (Feb. 23, 2010). Because the terrain would not permit a closer approach for in-situ work, Opportunity drove away on Sol 2165 driving 8.6 meters (28 feet) further along the crater's ejecta ray.

As of Sol 2165 (Feb. 25, 2010), the solar array energy production was 278 watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (tau) of 0.396 and a dust factor of 0.481. Total odometry is 19,360.14 meters (12 miles).

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sols 2166-2171, February 26 - March 03, 2010: Driving Around Material Ejected From Young Crater

Opportunity is continuing the circumnavigation of "Concepción" crater. During this period Opportunity traversed around a ray of ejecta that is comprised of rock debris from the impact that formed the crater.

In Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter images these rocks and their shadows appear as dark streaks extending to the south and southwest from Concepción crater. Data collected on Sols 2165 (Feb. 25, 2010) and 2166 (Feb. 26, 2010), indicated potential targets for direct measurements with the Instrument Deployment Device (IDD). A 22-meter (72-foot) drive along the ejecta ray was performed on Sol 2167 (Feb. 27, 2010). However, because of the assessed mobility risks associated with this part of the jumbled rock field, no in-situ targets were approached. Instead the rover continued the circumnavigation campaign with an 18-meter (59-foot) drive around the ejecta ray on Sol 2171 (March 3, 2010).

As of Sol 2171 (March 3, 2010), the solar array energy production was 278 watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (tau) of 0.396 and a dust factor of 0.481. Total odometry is 19,399.57 meters (12 miles).

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

sols 2172-2177, March 03-09, 2010: Driving Away From 'Concepción' Crater

Opportunity finished the circumnavigation campaign around "Concepción" crater.

Numerous targeted images were taken of rocks around the crater but no new rock targets were chosen to be analyzed using the in-situ (contact) instruments of the rover's robotic arm (IDD).

During the last leg around the crater on Sol 2172 (March 4, 2010), the third and final checkout for the AEGIS automated targeting software was successfully run. For this checkout, AEGIS analyzed a Navigation Camera (NavCam) image and searched for "cobbles" using a profile that prioritized rocks based on rock size and brightness. The top target found was an excellent example of a cobble. AEGIS then took a high quality, quarter-frame, 13-filter, Panoramic Camera (PanCam) image of this target.

Opportunity drove away from Concepción crater on Sol 2177 (March 9, 2010), and has driven about 130 meters (427 feet). Opportunity has now returned to the original path to Endeavour crater.

As of Sol 2177 (March 9, 2010), the solar array energy production was 278 watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (tau) of 0.446 and a dust factor of 0.504. Total odometry is 19,492.84 meters (12.11 miles).

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Well, the managers reports for those days sound pretty mundane, considering something just blew this place to pieces!

So, here we go! Rover Opportunity Sol day 2171 photos came to my attention from another poster on a similar forum. He was presenting the devastation shown in the area, and questioning "what happened here", while highlighting various possible anomalies. From that I developed a significant interest in Rover O's work, and just kept coming back to these SOL days. There really is a lot of "stuff" on the ground that Rover O has photographed that just doesn't look natural. (Also, there does appear to maybe be a few extra "shadows" in some of the pics???) Something (or some thing) has really messed up this place - meteor, missile, or whatever!

After coming back to SOL day 2171 numerous times, I finally saw the Birdman "statue". I refer to it as a statue because I don't know what else to call it. With a little magnification, the Birdman is pretty easy to see. Actually, it is only 1/2 statue, because the lower half is not there (but maybe not completely gone, as I will discuss later). I don't know how Birdman is constructed. His body appears to be formed to look like feathers/plumage. as well as the back of his head clearly displays some type of plumage, real/formed, or engraved. In the photo, we can only see the right side of his face. His facial features are humanish, but on the birdish side. His nose is very pointed, his face appears to be veined, his eye and mouth appear small, and the top of his head appears bald. In the photo, we can see his right hand, and that appears to be different - maybe two or three fingers. The hand seems to be shown gloved, or maybe colored like some birds feet are. If we look closely, we maybe can just make out a vague and similar left hand, but really very vague.

To me, this seems to be a real piece of reality for all of us. This birdman may not be the most significant piece found on Mars to date, but it is the most significant and telling thing I have seen on the planet. At this point we have no way of knowing whether this is "Look-Like" statue for a race of people somewhere, or, is it just a statue that makes a human type look like a bird, or a bird-god??? If the latter is the case, then by this we can know that there are ET human types, that know about feathered life-forms, which broadens our perspective, and would broaden the scope of ET life. If one does a search on the internet, as I have now done, you find many many different depictions of humanish bird statues, ---just FYI!

I am going to post this now, for everyone. I do have additional information to pass along, but that will get into the area of "semi-intelligent conjecture", and i don't want to bring that into this post yet. What I have shared is what I see in the Rover photo that I am posting for you. Yes, there are rocks in the screenshot, and a lot of rocks and sand in the full photos. I have given my complete description this time, to try to help each of you visualize the "Birdman of Mars" as best possible, as you review it..

SOL day 2171 (one of several individual photos on that day that shows the subject) http://marsrover.nasa.gov/gallery/all/1/p/2171/1P321006692EFFABMIP2386L5M1.JPG

SOL day 2173 (likewise, one of several on this SOL day) http://marsrover.nasa.gov/gallery/all/1/p/2173/1P321186928EFFABMIP2582R7M1.JPG

And the screen pic comes next, if it works!

Edited September 10, 2011 by rdunk

[WoIverine]

? No, wait for it...

???

Looks like a pile of rocks to me...

[Moonie2012]

Is what proof enough of what? It's a rock in a field of rocks.

It proves you have an imagination, and that's about it.

Edited September 10, 2011 by Moonie2012

[Mike G]

This has to be a joke post...

[Timothy]

OK apparently my imagination is shot because I can't see sh!t there!?

Can you show a little more clearly what you are talking about?

[booNyzarC]

Thanks for sharing rdunk. I was very curious about what you had found and I appreciate that you posted about it.

I don't agree that it is anything more than a pile of rocks, but I suppose you probably expected that from me.

This has to be a joke post...

I don't think it is Mike.

[Deacon_Fall]

*blinks*

[Timothy]

this "Birdman" does settle it for me, relative to whether there is other intelligent life outside planet Earth. Absolutely yes!

You must have a cache of photos from multiple angles yes? Because just going by this photo, I can say the only thing we can confirm is that it is a rock.

Have we not learnt from the 'face' on mars???

Edit: Do you have other photos?

Edited September 10, 2011 by Timonthy

[AmpleFyre]

I'm sorry, all I see is some rocks.

[arglebargle]

Could you please circle in red what we're supposed to be looking at, because I have to agree with the others, I can only see rocks here.

[Paxus]

Good grief.

It's almost like clockwork.

(No offense rdunk - i don't mean you in particular - plenty do and it's frustrating)

About once a month someone 'sees something' in some shapes or some rocks or some sand and then they post here with a title that promises much more than it delivers.

*sighs*

Rocks.

[Biff Wellington]

I don't see anything, just rocks.

[septic peg]

Hang about pleeeeeaaaseee!! Hang about!!

I just downloaded it, blew it up, rotated it, added contrast, hue, false colors, tried a negative effect, sharpened it, rotated again...and then I saw .. absolutely FA!

maybe this is like this story?

http://www.connectamarillo.com/news/story.aspx?id=594286#.Tmqx5-yKLXQ

Sorry to the OP for taking the mickey, but can you skin me one up please?

Edited September 10, 2011 by septic peg

[Timothy]

Could you please circle in red what we're supposed to be looking at, because I have to agree with the others, I can only see rocks here.

I'm pretty sure he means this...

Left-to-right: Plumage, eye, mouth, nose. A.K.A: A rock.

You can see the formation in the center of the first photo posted here.

[Paxus]

OH MY GOD!!!!

Why is it surprising that in nature you will see all sorts of shapes of all types of things!?!?!!?

[Timothy]

OH MY GOD!!!!

Why is it surprising that in nature you will see all sorts of shapes of all types of things!?!?!!?

I just like that it can always be used as definitive proof.

[WoIverine]

I'm pretty sure he means this...

Left-to-right: Plumage, eye, mouth, nose. A.K.A: A rock.

You can see the formation in the center of the first photo posted here.

I'm sorry, but...just LOL LOL!

Best night on UM, ever!

[Paxus]

I just like that it can always be used as definitive proof.

what amazes me is that these people (who want to declare 'definitive proof') don't use other(better) material (rather than looking at random formations until they see something)?!!

[booNyzarC]

I totally understand how inconclusive this evidence is that rdunk has posted guys, but really I think he has put a lot of effort into this thread. Look at the OP and how much prep he put into it. Let's try to be a little more cordial here okay?

[Paxus]

I totally understand how inconclusive this evidence is that rdunk has posted guys, but really I think he has put a lot of effort into this thread. Look at the OP and how much prep he put into it. Let's try to be a little more cordial here okay?

r u feeling ok buddy?

your first response to this thread tweaked my suspicions (that you were ill) because of how polite and almost applauding it was but now you have me really worried.

perhaps i'm being more harsh than usual (probably because i am very angry today - because i've only had 4 hours sleep in 2 days and nights) but why should we be less critical or harsh of a poor post or bad material or ridiculous assumptions (some might even say 'being taken for a ride) just because the person presenting it has spent a lot of time doing so?

If i prepare a pile of dog shǐt for 4 hours and serve it up to you with a knife and fork (and on a silver platter), and ask you to eat it, will you be as friendly and polite to me as you are being to rdunk?

btw, rdunk - i don't think your post is doggy doo doo, i just think it's ca-razy that you don't realise that you could find bird-head shapes all over the place if you looked(in clouds, in bushes, in plant formations, in dirt, in rocks here on earth etc etc.

Oh and a waste of all our time

Edited September 10, 2011 by Paxus

[rdunk]

I will add a "ring" on the screenshot, but I don't think that will help some of you anyway. I do appreciate all comments, regardless of whether you agree with what I see or not. And i do mean that!!!

[booNyzarC]

r u feeling ok buddy?

your first response to this thread tweaked my suspicions (that you were ill) because of how polite and almost applauding it was but now you have me really worried.

perhaps i'm being more harsh than usual (probably because i am very angry today - because i've only had 4 hours sleep in 2 days and nights) but why should we be less critical or harsh of a poor post or bad material or ridiculous assumptions (some might even say 'being taken for a ride) just because the person presenting it has spent a lot of time doing so?

If i prepare a pile of dog shǐt for 4 hours and serve it up to you with a knife and fork and ask you to eat it, to you on a silver platter will you be as friendly and polite to me as you are being to rdunk?

Valid question I guess. Am I making an extra effort to soften my responses to things today? Yes, I suppose that I am.

I woke to find that my character had been trashed because of a less than cordial (but completely appropriate and understandable) response in another thread. And the initial trashing came from an unexpected source. One followup source didn't surprise me (as I've come to expect it, unfortunately), but the initial one was a surprise.

It made me wonder if I've been too much of an ass around here lately.

So yes, I'm trying to not be one now.

But don't worry mate. It's Friday, I'm drinking profusely, and I'll be back to normal in no time. Especially if the source posts of my morning frustration are still around in another hour...

In the mean time, I really do think that rdunk put some effort into this and presented it with genuine sincerity. I don't agree that it is anything more than rocks, but if we could express that to him in a more respectful way I'd appreciate it. I was the one that prodded him to present this evidence the other day, though I didn't know what it consisted of, and I feel a bit attached to the thread as a result.

[javelinstark]

that appears to be a regular stone. it may look like a birdman in some sense but its really nothing special. its just a coincidence. like that mountain that looks kinda like a face in the satellite photos. also if this was some sort of statue i would imagine there would be more evidence of structure in the surrounding area

[Golden Duck]

... I do appreciate all comments, regardless of whether you agree with what I see or not. And i do mean that!!!

At the end of the day, it's a good thing that you shove the martian landscape in our faces. I don't know how motivated I'd be to browse through through all all the photographs.

[Timothy]

I will add a "ring" on the screenshot, but I don't think that will help some of you anyway. I do appreciate all comments, regardless of whether you agree with what I see or not. And i do mean that!!!

Do you have any other images of this? It's hard to find any credability in 1 highly inconclusive picture.