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Mars Lander Snaps the Most Detailed Pics Yet

Posted by kdawson on from the feeling-its-way dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The Mars Lander has taken its very first microscopic image of a piece of Martian dust (image). The particle, according to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is shown at a higher magnification than anything ever seen from another planet. The piece of dust is a rounded particle about a millionth of a meter across. This particle is one of the countless specks of dust that continually swirl around the Red Planet, coloring the Martian sky pink. 'Taking the images required the highest resolution microscope operated off of Earth and a specially designed substrate to hold the Martian dust,' said Tom Pike, a Phoenix science team member. 'We always knew it was going to be technically very challenging to image particles this small.'"

9 of 130 comments (clear)

  1. "Millionth of a meter" by blind+biker · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's called micrometer. I know, that sounds too sciency, sorry.

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    1. Re:"Millionth of a meter" by Eudial · · Score: 4, Funny

      It's called micrometer. I know, that sounds too sciency, sorry.

      Meter sounds too European. A five thousand thousandth of a rod is colloquial enough for those imperialists to understand.

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    2. Re:"Millionth of a meter" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      I can just imagine a specification calling for a gap of 100 micrometers and a NASA contractor supplying 100 instruments...

  2. wrong approach by larry+bagina · · Score: 5, Funny

    When we wanted to analyze moon rocks, we didn't send a microscope to the moon, we brought the moon rocks to the microscope (on Earth). I think it would save a lot of time and money to just send up some astronauts to colelcts some dust and rocks and bring them back. I guess NASA needs to waste money to justify a bigger budget.

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  3. Confucius say by Profane+MuthaFucka · · Score: 4, Funny

    Confucius say "Sending giant rocket to see little piece of dust like bringing mountain to Mohammad."

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    1. Re:Confucius say by Muad'Dave · · Score: 3, Funny

      Nostradamus told Confucius about Muhammed.

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  4. In case of slashdotting . . . by PeeAitchPee · · Score: 4, Funny

    . . . here's another view of the piece of the Martian dust: .

    1. Re:In case of slashdotting . . . by street+struttin' · · Score: 5, Funny

      And here's a close up: O

  5. No stupid, its 1.05702341(10^-22) light years by RudeIota · · Score: 4, Funny

    rounded particle about a millionth of a meter across

    Get it right.

    While we're at it, maybe someone would care to share arbitrary comparisons to help us visualize... like if we could line these particles up from the Earth to the Moon, it would take nearly 3.84403(10^14) of them! Or, if we encircled the Earth with these particles, it would take nearly 4.0008(10^13)! Amazing!!! It's all so clear now.

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