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Astronomy Picture of the Day
NASA ^ | 6/2/08 | NASA

Posted on 06/02/2008 1:50:30 PM PDT by sig226


Unusual Light Patch Under Phoenix Lander on Mars
Credit:
Phoenix Mission Team, NASA, JPL-Caltech, U. Arizona

Explanation: Is that ice under the Phoenix spacecraft on Mars? Quite possibly. Phoenix, which landed a week ago, was expected to dig under the Martian soil to search for ice, but the lander's braking rockets may already have uncovered some during descent. Pictured above is an image taken last week by the Robotic Arm Camera showing the unusual light-colored substance just in front of Phoenix's landing pad. Over the next few weeks, Phoenix 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 indeed Martian ice, it would give Phoenix a convenient pedestal to investigate the history of water on Mars, and to better determine whether the boundary between ice and soil was ever capable of supporting life.


TOPICS: Astronomy Picture of the Day
KEYWORDS: apod

1 posted on 06/02/2008 1:50:31 PM PDT by sig226
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To: fnord; Number57; KevinDavis; rdb3; MNJohnnie; thoughtomator; RightWhale; proudofthesouth; ...

2 posted on 06/02/2008 1:51:16 PM PDT by sig226 (Real power is not the ability to destroy an enemy. It is the willingness to do it.)
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To: sig226

Robourine?


3 posted on 06/02/2008 1:53:47 PM PDT by cripplecreek (I miss the days when only the politicians were unethical.)
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To: sig226

Looks like ice to me.


4 posted on 06/02/2008 1:54:55 PM PDT by samtheman
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To: samtheman
“Looks like ice to me.”

Or it's Lander poop.

5 posted on 06/02/2008 2:12:16 PM PDT by wolfcreek (I see miles and miles of Texas....let's keep it that way.)
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To: sig226

Now if this multi- million dollar probe had capabilities to find signs of life that would be cool.
Guess we’ll have to wait for probably bunches more multi-million dollar probes to get that one.


6 posted on 06/02/2008 2:37:41 PM PDT by mowowie
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To: sig226

Why the sam hill can’t they have pictures in color?


7 posted on 06/02/2008 2:42:07 PM PDT by vpintheak (Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked. Prov. 25:26)
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To: sig226
Another pic, sure looks like melted ice...


8 posted on 06/02/2008 3:00:19 PM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: vpintheak
Initially. all the pictures come back in black and white, it's much less data to send.
By sending pictures this way, it gives controllers the opportunity to pick which one they want to have in color.

Expect to see this again in full color. If it's ice, then the Phoenix mission will have been successful already.

9 posted on 06/02/2008 3:00:32 PM PDT by Pistolshot (When you let what you are define who you are, you create divisiveness.)
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To: tet68

This looks like an alien skull bone to me. See the nose and the eye sockets. Oh crap. the lander hit a Martian. I wonder if Mars has lawyers?

parsy, who notices things like this.


10 posted on 06/02/2008 3:53:20 PM PDT by parsifal ("Knock and ye shall receive!" (The Bible, somewhere.))
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To: parsifal

Well, I suppose it could be some sort of Cryptid vertibrae
but what do I know ...looks like melted ice to me.


11 posted on 06/02/2008 3:55:39 PM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: sig226

Ice. Permafrost does this, the ice purfies itself.


12 posted on 06/02/2008 3:57:51 PM PDT by RightWhale (We see the polygons)
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To: sig226
to investigate the history of water on Mars, and to better determine whether the boundary between ice and soil was ever capable of supporting life.

???

Well, of course Mars was once capable of supporting life. Where do they figure earthlings migrated from? Halley's comet? Duh.

13 posted on 06/02/2008 8:36:01 PM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: sig226

Very cool!


14 posted on 06/03/2008 4:37:25 AM PDT by GodBlessRonaldReagan (Wakka-ding-hoy - battle cry of the Plexus Rangers!)
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To: GodBlessRonaldReagan

It’s a “hatch” from the Dharma Initiative that will be part of the plot in next season’s Tv show, “Lost”


15 posted on 06/03/2008 11:50:41 AM PDT by Ronaldus Magnus Reagan (Fight Socialism! Vote McCain '08!)
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