Is the geological surveying equipment on board able to detect elements or compounds previously unknown to science???
It may be possible to detect previously unknown elements or compounds. This would occur if the instruments detected a previously unknown spectrographic signature from new elements or compounds. The key is ensuring that the signature does not match any we have seen previously. In that case, we would have discovered a new element or compound. Larry Bryant Test and Training Engineer QUESTION: How is the THEMIS able to tell what the minarels are acording to the colored data it will take in. From Wil B. at Gates school ANSWER: Hi there Wil, THEMIS looks at the martian surface in the infra red (kinda like night vision googles the military uses) or how hot and cold the surface is. Each mineral has a unique “fingerprint” signature in the infra red and this is how we will identify what minerals are down there on Mars. Dr. James W. Rice, Jr.
