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Mars Lander Sees Falling Snow

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the just-a-bad-signal dept.

Riding with Robots writes "NASA reports that the Phoenix Mars Lander has detected snow falling from Martian clouds. According to the Canadian team running a weather experiment, a laser instrument designed to study how the atmosphere and surface interact on Mars has detected snow from clouds about 4 kilometers above the landing site. Data shows the snow vaporizing before reaching the surface, but one of the mission scientists said, 'We'll be looking for signs that the snow may even reach the ground.' Spacecraft soil experiments have also provided evidence of past interaction between minerals and liquid water."

2 of 118 comments (clear)

  1. Canadian Funding rounds by MosesJones · · Score: 5, Funny

    Canadian Scientist: We'd like some money to look for Snow on Mars
    Canadian Funding: Errr we have lots of Snow already

    CS: Ahh but if we find snow on Mars then we can ski-doo on Mars
    CF: Errr we can ski-doo here

    CS: Well yes but if we find the snow first we'll get first tracks which means the Yanks will have to let us go on the manned mission
    CF: Sweeeeet

    Yes folks, its all about finding freshies and there is no lengths to which Canadians will not go in the search for fresh powder.

    --
    An Eye for an Eye will make the whole world blind - Gandhi
  2. Neat, virga on Mars. by Neanderthal+Ninny · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Rain or snow, like virga, on Mars may not be consisting of water only. Here is the Wikipedia entry on virga:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virga

    Also Universities Space Research Association has some information on virga:
    http://epod.usra.edu/archive/epodviewer.php3?oid=47776
    They have a excellent NOAA photo of virga.