Comments on: Phoenix Press Conference Update: Proof of Water Ice

By: marble doctor

marble doctor — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 02:25:37 +0000

I am very happy that I found this site.

By: mark McRude

mark McRude — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:26:33 +0000

This is really Cool stuff!! I can't wait until they confirm it!!!

I am a little disturbed by the fact that so many "trivial" things are bugging this particular adventure on the planet. They've had 32 years to work out the wrinkles from the Viking landers and it seems they are having similar problems in the same areas like –

RETRIEVING the SAMPLES!!!!
But Good Job NASA!!
Can they make Ice Cream out of Martian water Ice?

By: watchful stone guardian

watchful stone guardian — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:31:00 +0000

For those more familiar with metric than imperial two-thirds of an inch (2/3") works out to be 17 mm. Both seem to be very unusual numbers to choose for a scale. Maybe NASA is using the "Martian Metre" to go along with the "Sol".

(The metre on Earth was originally defined as one-ten millionth of the distance from the north pole to the equator through Paris, France. So using the same definition on Mars the metre would be about 53.3 cm long thus the scale on the photo would be 32 martian millimetres)

By: Dave S

Dave S — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:53:24 +0000

This potential water ice can be been in the twin rovers tracks. Couldn't NASA return to one of the tracks they photographed and see if the white material has sublimated there as well?

By: Mek

Mek — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 09:51:51 +0000

It's pretty odd that he said "proof" (it's strong, powerful evidence but it's still not proof!)

That said I am for one convinced. Now please test some of it!

By: quasidog

quasidog — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 01:46:16 +0000

…. 'pretty confident' is not 'proof'. I am going to remain skeptical until they do the oven tests.

By: Nancy Atkinson

Nancy Atkinson — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 18:18:56 +0000

Damo-
The inset is a close-up of the ice nuggets that are visible in the image from Sol 20 but have disappeared by Sol 24

By: Jon Hanford

Jon Hanford — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 16:47:11 +0000

Just clicked in here after checking out news and seeing this all over the place. I'm sure there will be a lot of good and bad gab here, as usual, but must at least add my own "Hoorah" to the line. One other good comment, the photo here is better than others I saw, and even with a good zoom, it held quality. I see many spots I would personally consider very likely signs of the sublimination of the ice,. even in the base of the trench. More study of other photos may confirm a good number of ice clumps not mentioned in news articles. I, for one, will certainly keep studying these, and may even click into NASA to see if I can get a few more of the series they took here! I totally agree with Koostar's interpretation of this new development. NASA's mantra of 'follow the water' has almost certainly been fulfilled. Now the task of analyzing impurities in the ice can commence. Bravo Phoenix.

By: Damo

Damo — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 16:36:52 +0000

Sorry if I missed the explanation of what difference is between the inset & the main picture. If I haven't, why don't folks clearly explain the difference between the two?

By: Arun Prabhu

Arun Prabhu — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 12:19:24 +0000

Why not white clay or marble like stone ?

By: giovanni

giovanni — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 12:05:59 +0000

so,in the base of the trench a white clump has been exposed and its no longer there.
couldnt it be that un upward spiralling of dust such as a willy-willy which are common on mars has covered the white clump?

By: Chuck Lam

Chuck Lam — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 11:03:51 +0000

Hmm! Why can't this "evaporated" water be detected in what there is of the Mars atmosphere?

By: Kootstar

Kootstar — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 06:29:37 +0000

By: Quantum_Flux

Quantum_Flux — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 06:25:34 +0000

Wahooo! Start popping the champain corks NASA (but don't get any on the telemetry controls though)!

By: Ralph Rewes

Ralph Rewes — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 21:25:05 +0000

They just discover the Mediterranean! As if they didn't know. Water was detected in Europe, and they needed a probe with a lab landing on Mars to do the same.

By: Alex

Alex — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:53:23 +0000

I hold off any preconceived notions until they test it , so until then , I'll just say I hope this means they'll eventually send a nuke to level off and reshape Mars' atmosphere then send another one to melt all the ice so Mars can have oceans , because we all know oceans are the pristine source of drinking water…..and that's how the aliens will wanna go back there