apod
06-02-08, 11:29 AM
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0806/whitepatch_phoenix_big.jpg (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0806/whitepatch_phoenix.jpg) Unusual Light Patch Under Phoenix Lander on Mars
Credit: Phoenix Mission Team (http://fawkes4.lpl.arizona.edu/index.php), NASA (http://www.nasa.gov/), JPL-Caltech (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/), U. Arizona (http://pirlwww.lpl.arizona.edu/)
Explanation: Is that ice under the Phoenix spacecraft on Mars? Quite possibly (http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/05_31_pr.php). Phoenix, which landed (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080525.html) a week ago, was expected to dig under the Martian soil to search for ice, but the lander's breaking jets may already have uncovered some during descent. Pictured above (http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA10741) is an image taken last week by the Robotic Arm Camera (http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/science_rac.php) showing the unusual light-colored substance just in front of Phoenix's landing pad (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080527.html). Over the next few weeks, Phoenix (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_%28spacecraft%29) will continue to photograph its surroundings, analyze the composition of this hard light substrate, and dig into the surrounding soil. Were the unusual light substrate (http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00001481/) indeed Martian ice, it would give Phoenix a convenient pedestal to investigate the history of water on Mars (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050401.html), and to better determine whether the boundary between ice (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050720.html) and soil was ever capable of supporting life (http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/science03.php).
Source (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080602.html)
Credit: Phoenix Mission Team (http://fawkes4.lpl.arizona.edu/index.php), NASA (http://www.nasa.gov/), JPL-Caltech (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/), U. Arizona (http://pirlwww.lpl.arizona.edu/)
Explanation: Is that ice under the Phoenix spacecraft on Mars? Quite possibly (http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/05_31_pr.php). Phoenix, which landed (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080525.html) a week ago, was expected to dig under the Martian soil to search for ice, but the lander's breaking jets may already have uncovered some during descent. Pictured above (http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA10741) is an image taken last week by the Robotic Arm Camera (http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/science_rac.php) showing the unusual light-colored substance just in front of Phoenix's landing pad (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080527.html). Over the next few weeks, Phoenix (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_%28spacecraft%29) will continue to photograph its surroundings, analyze the composition of this hard light substrate, and dig into the surrounding soil. Were the unusual light substrate (http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00001481/) indeed Martian ice, it would give Phoenix a convenient pedestal to investigate the history of water on Mars (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050401.html), and to better determine whether the boundary between ice (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050720.html) and soil was ever capable of supporting life (http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/science03.php).
Source (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080602.html)