Barnacle Bill (Martian rock)

Barnacle Bill rock
Sojourner rover next to the "Barnacle Bill" rock
Feature typeRock
Coordinates19°20′N 33°33′W / 19.33°N 33.55°W / 19.33; -33.55

Barnacle Bill is a 40-centimetre (16 in) rock on Mars in Ares Vallis. It was the first rock on Mars analyzed by the Sojourner rover using its Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer.[1] The encounter occurred during Sol 3 of the Mars Pathfinder mission on the surface of Mars and took ten hours to complete.

"Barnacle Bill" rock - close-up

Early analysis of data sent from Sojourner led scientists to speculate that the rock was andesite.

The name was inspired in mission scientists by barnacle-like structures on the rock that appeared in transmitted photos.

References

  1. ↑ Pyle, Rod (2014). Curiosity: An Inside Look at the Mars Rover Mission and the People who Made it Happen. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books. pp. 60–61. ISBN 978-1-61614-933-8.

See also

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