Barnacle Bill (Martian rock)

Barnacle Bill Rock

Sojourner Rover next to the "Barnacle Bill" rock
Feature type Rock
Coordinates 19°20′N 33°33′W / 19.33°N 33.55°W / 19.33; -33.55Coordinates: 19°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. 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.

See also

External links

Notable rocks on Mars
Adirondack
(Spirit)
Barnacle Bill
(Sojourner)
Bathurst Inlet
(Curiosity)
Big Joe*
(Viking)
Block Island
(Opportunity) M
Bounce
(Opportunity)
Coronation
(Curiosity)
El Capitan
(Opportunity)
Esperance*
(Opportunity)
Goulburn
(Curiosity)
Heat Shield
(Opportunity) M
Home Plate
(Spirit)
Hottah
(Curiosity)
Jake Matijevic
(Curiosity)
Last Chance
(Opportunity)
Link
(Curiosity)
Mackinac Island
(Opportunity) M
Mimi*
(Spirit)
Oileán Ruaidh
(Opportunity) M
Pot of Gold
(Spirit)
Rocknest 3
(Curiosity)
Shelter Island
(Opportunity) M
Tintina
(Curiosity)
Yogi
(Sojourner)
Notes: * = linked article is about the mission that encountered this rock; M = Meteorite - ()
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