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First Pictures From Mars Phoenix Lander

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the now-get-digging dept.

Now that the solar panels have been deployed, the Mars Phoenix Lander has begun sending back pictures of the red planet to the hungry space geeks of earth. In just a few weeks the claw will deploy and they'll start digging a hole. The scientists expect to use the dirt to construct a little sand castle which they will defend with several GI Joe action figures, and a bald barbie stolen from their sisters. Oh, and maybe find water or bacteria.

9 of 211 comments (clear)

  1. Where on the planet did it land? by Cthefuture · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Is there a picture or something that shows roughly where it landed on the planet? I spent some time on their web site but couldn't find anything.

    --
    The ratio of people to cake is too big
  2. Colour Imaging? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Not that I don't appreciate NASA's false-colouring of images, but why is it that they never just send a visible spectrum camera up there?

  3. Interesting Object? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Anyone know what the object in the back right field is? Sticks out..

    http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/phoenix/collection_16/SS000EFF896228773_10CA8R8M1_8877.jpg

  4. Re:Somewhere in the red circle... by houghi · · Score: 2, Interesting

    And that card, is that the side of a table, or the size of 250.000 football fields? As I have no frame of reference, I have no idea if I must be impressed or not.

    --
    Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
  5. Why Mars all the time? by gilesjuk · · Score: 2, Interesting

    While I can understand that they're looking for water and getting as much information for a future human mission to Mars, there's other places which could be more interesting such as Europa.

    The mission to Europa was canned which is a shame.

  6. Re:Awesome by turgid · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'm sure my father said exactly the same thing when the Viking craft landed back in the 1970s.

    It would be great if space exploration went at a faster pace, but as long as there are wars to be fought, don't hold your breath.

    --
    Stick Men
  7. Re:Colour? by Hijacked+Public · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Many of the photos taken during the early Apollo missions were shot with hand held Hasselblad cameras. On the first moon landing Armstrong took a fairly well known shot of Aldrin on the surface. As far as I know all our manned missions since have had Hasselblad on board.

    These are more pleasing to the eye than what is being transmitted from the Phoenix lance but a little less scientifically useful. They are also limited to missions that will return, since the film has to be developed.

    A good portion of the gear used now shoots photos in stereo so objects can be more accurately scaled and located. And B&W only sensors can be made more accurate in that regard than color (a quick look at any decent graphic explanation of one will illustrate why). As previous posts have noted, filters can be used to determine color.

    --
    "Sacrifice for the good of The State" - The State
  8. Re:Colour? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    and my Mom was one of the people that developed that film.

    which made her kinda cool in the eyes of a proto-nerd like myself

  9. Brine? by Vandil+X · · Score: 2, Interesting

    They called the dirt layer drudged up while driving in Meridani (Opportunity's site) "brine". But that's because it's a salty, slightly moist soil.

    Not sure what that means for the polar region's dirt, but just tossing that out there.

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