Mars Cricket

"I have recently taken an interest in the anomalies and such like from the Mars Rover photos," says Rob Clay. "I decided to play a game of "spot the difference" with photos taken at the same location, my theory being simple: if something was present in one photo and not in another taken at the same location [at around the same time], then it must have 'moved'.

"I have found something very interesting and shows that there is life on Mars; not a big creature by any means, but it does appear to have legs and look like an insect. I have called it a 'cricket'.

"In this photo, in the lower right-hand quarter, is a small area of sand, and perched on this is my 'cricket'. In this photo the cricket is missing!

"At first I thought that the upright pipe might be obscuring it, but if you relate [the 'cricket's'] position to the rock above it (shaped a bit like the Star Trek emblem), it is definitely missing, therefore it has moved. See the raw photos here.

"Can we name the cricket Robert after me, please?"

Rob, if we could prove it was a cricket and I was in charge of naming such things, I would certainly name it after you. So what do you think, readers? Has Rob spotted a critter on Mars? Other possibilities include something light (and not alive) that was blown away by the wind before the second picture was taken. Or the dark spot could be a photographic flaw or speck of dust on the camera lens. Then again, perhaps it is Marscricketitus Robertus. -- S.W.

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