You are browsing the archive for Phoenix.
27 May 2008
Polygons on Mars?!
There has been a lot of excitement about the first glimpses of the martian arctic returned by the Phoenix lander, and particularly lots of “oohs” and “ahhs” over pictures, like the one above of so-called “polygons” on the surface. So, what’s the big deal with these polygons and how do they form? The short answer is that polygons form when soil with water in it freezes and thaws. The basic …
26 May 2008
Phoenix Color and Anaglyph Images
Edit: Here is the official first NASA released false-color image from Phoenix. It compares pretty well with the one that Rick assembled last night! This is a first attempt at a color composite of the Phoenix landing site. It was assembled by Rick Kline, Data Manager for the Spacecraft Imaging Facility here at Cornell and he kindly said that I could post it to the blog! He also put together …
First Phoenix Data!
Welcome to the northern plains of Mars! You can see freeze-thaw polygons in this shot, which are a very good sign of ice in the soil! I can’t wait to see what happens when they dig in with the arm. And here’s a photo of the shiny solar panels, soaking up all the power they can. Check out the rest at the Phoenix website!
Phoenix Has Landed!
It looks like the landing went flawlessly, and the first pictures should be coming down in a few minutes!
25 May 2008
Phoenix Lands on Mars Today!
I would be a very Bad Martian if I did not mention that the Phoenix lander is arriving at Mars today! In a few hours! I will be hosting a public event at Cornell tonight where we will be watching coverage on NASA TV and an interview with Steve Squyres on CNN. I’m not involved in the Phoenix mission, but it’s pretty exciting nonetheless. Remember, we as humans have only …
22 May 2008
The Search for Life on Mars: Part 2
In a previous post, I talked about how the idea of life on Mars captivated the mind of the world before the space age, and left off with the arrival of Mariner 4. Now, with the Phoenix landing coming up on Sunday, I thought it would be fitting to continue the story of the search for life on Mars by looking at what past spacecraft have found. When Mariner 4 …
7 May 2008
Dust Devils at the Phoenix Landing Site
It’s finals week in Cornell-land, so I apologize for the lack of posting. As always, I will sate your appetites with a picture. This time, it is an image from the context camera (CTX) on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, showing giant dust devils near the landing site for Phoenix. Coolness! Phoenix is landing on May 25 (only 18 days left!), and will probably be able to catch a glimpse of …
29 April 2008
The Man Who Invented Mars
The Boston Globe has a nice article about Percival Lowell (of Martian canal fame), life on Mars, and the upcoming Phoenix lander mission. Check it out.
