Phoenix Lander discovers snowfall on Mars
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- Tyrannous
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more from News:
http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2009/07/phoenix-lander-observed-s...
Many outlets are reporting on the recently released results of the various experiments and observations of NASA's Mars Phoenix Lander. Most notable is the discovery of nighttime snowfall on the planet, lending credibility to the idea of an active water cycle hypothesized based on earlier data collection."The papers rely on evidence from a variety of the instruments on the lander, and the description of the data provides an impressive catalog of the various ways that Phoenix could prod and query the Martian pole. In the months before Martian winter shut the lander down, it managed to dig a dozen trenches, taking soil samples from each. These samples went into wet and dry chemistry labs, had their conductivity tested, and were even examined using an atomic force microscope. Meanwhile, cameras and a LIDAR system (a laser-based range detector) scanned the surroundings. The overall conclusion is that the northern pole has an active water cycle. This had been suggested by a variety of evidence from orbital sensors, as well early images returned from Phoenix. It's also not a huge shock, given the seasonal growth and retreat of the polar ice cap. Still, Phoenix provided some significant details on the cycling of water in the area where it landed."
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SupaDawg
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Very cool. Always interesting to see anything released from the Phoenix data. It's certainly been a productive mission.
- 7 months ago
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SupaDawg
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Hurtsville
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Cool.
- 7 months ago
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Hurtsville
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krush_productions
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Anyone got the ski report for Olympus Mons?
- 7 months ago
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krush_productions
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Panzer_Tanzler
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Get your ass to Mars.
- 7 months ago
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Panzer_Tanzler
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ilikeike
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Panzer_Tanzler:
roflmao, nice
- 7 months ago
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ilikeike
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Panzer_Tanzler
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Panzer_Tanzler
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twitterbot
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@greghanover on twitter says "It snowed on Mars?! Well that confirms it. Mars > Texas."
- 7 months ago
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twitterbot
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royulery
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the water is going to be kinda pure, distilled from the air but it will contain carbonic acid from the co2 atmosphere, probally not as much carbonization as a soda.
having water that can be directly removed from the air changes everything. we won't have to mine water or transport it. we can leave an automated refinery on the surface and it will make rocket fuel from air.
the money spent on space, stays in america. - 7 months ago
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royulery
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TimothyF
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im ready :]
- 7 months ago
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TimothyF
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Bigdog_mike
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Pack your bags folks, its time to colonize.
- 7 months ago
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Bigdog_mike
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Rorenado
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Bigdog_mike:
'Bout time!
- 7 months ago
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Rorenado
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mycall306
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Bigdog_mike:
lol. right behind ya...
- 7 months ago
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mycall306
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EmperorThan
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Wasn't this a year ago? The Phoenix Lander died in November 2008 if I'm not mistaken. And I'm positive I'm not.
- 7 months ago
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EmperorThan
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Snuff99
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EmperorThan:
I think both are injured, one stationary, but both functional.
- 7 months ago
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Snuff99
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bailey78
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but is it water or some other gas becomeing a solid and what does it contain Acid or microbs that could destroy our water system as we know it .
- 7 months ago
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bailey78
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twitterbot
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@alexdeveloper on twitter says "NASA's Mars Phoenix Lander records night-time snowfall on Mars #science #space"
- 7 months ago
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twitterbot
