Posted on 05/26/2008 8:20:13 PM PDT by blam
Probably too thin an atmosphere to develop the ionized plasma around the spacecraft.
Yup, overperforming. Just like the Mars Rovers, which stayed functional WAY longer then they were supposed to. In fact, isn’t one of those still “alive”?
The Pheonix is supposed to keep working for 3 months. Anyone want to take an over/under on one year?
It used up-thrusting propulsion jets to offset Martian terminal velocity.
I wish there was some frame of reference of size/distance for the Mars photos. I can’t tell if those polygon shapes are 3 foot across or 20 feet across.
The parachutes’s open, so the craft must be under 8 miles altitude; the orbiter was 472 miles up, so the distance between the two had to be at least 464 miles! And all this around a planet that’s, what, 100 million miles away at the moment.
Wow. Well done, NASA.
It’s above the Martian arctic circle. Come the winter, it will receive no sunlight.
Description of how freeze/thaw cycles form polygons.
http://www.crrel.usace.army.mil/permafrosttunnel/1g3g_Wedge_Formation.htm
They found what appears to be a crushed beer can.
Think you are correct about atmospheric density.
From another site:
It was once believed that Mars had an atmosphere much like Earth’s and that if we could find a way to get there, we could breath Martian air. As often happens, knowledge brings a new outlook. Composition of the Martian air is 95% Carbon Dioxide, 3% nitrogen and trace amounts of oxygen and water. The density of the Martian atmosphere is only 1% of Earth.
Though there is water crystals in the atmosphere, no rain ever falls on Mars. The atmosphere is too cold and there is too little water in them to produce rain. There is so little water in the atmosphere that if all of it were to fall at once, it would make a layer less than 1/2000th of an inch thick. Despite such little water, fog does form in some valleys and on really cold nights there is frost. Around the poles, there is carbon dioxide snow!
It is believed that Mars had a very different atmosphere in its distant past. At one time, the planet’s atmosphere may have been much more like Earth’s is now. Apparently, Mars has changed a great deal in it’s history.
Maybe they can figure this out from the last time. http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040524a/site_B115_navcam_180_cyl_L-B118R1_br2.jpg
Piece of the ark?
The first close-up color image of the northern arctic region on Mars was taken by the Mars Phoenix Lander about two hours after its arrival on the Red Planet May 25. Visible is polygonal structure, which may indicate regions where water ice lies just below the surface. Similar polygons are found in Earth’s polar regions, where they typically form from cycles of freezing and thawing.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/32580/title/Touchdown%21_Phoenix_lands_on_Mars
Did the Ark make it to Mars? :-)
Yep, on FR we wondered what the hell were railroad ties doing on Mars. I’ll go look for the thread.
The photo... 
NASA released
The classified version... 
not released!
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