Comments on: Phoenix Lander Just Watchin' the Clouds Go By

By: robbb

robbb — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:56:03 +0000

i agree – the image is exciting b/c it gives one a sense of what it might be like to stand on Mars and look up at the sky. can we please get a color camera next time!

By: dollhopf

dollhopf — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:59:23 +0000

Unbelievable! Are you realy realy sure that these pictures were not captured here on earth? Awesome!

By: alphonso

alphonso — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:52:15 +0000

Interesting article. I like your observations Chris – certainly give something to think about.

Besides that, I wonder if it's just me or one of those clous in the clip looks a bit like a dolphin?

By: Chris Coles

Chris Coles — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 08:57:22 +0000

This small clip is perhaps the most important to come from the surface of Mars. We already have many images of the tracks of Dust Devils, (caused by the base of thermals rising into the atmosphere), on the surface, but this shows us several additional influences.

1. There is water vapour in the atmosphere.

2. The atmosphere has a similar structure as Earths.

3. There must be a continuous flow of sublimed ice turning to water vapour at the surface.

4. Water vapour turns to ice during the night to form frost. We have seen this with Phoenix. So all the normal Earth like atmospheric activities continue on Mars.

5. Valleys, (a favourite subject of mine), must have a much higher water vapour content in their depths than the upper surface where all landers have so far been placed.

We need to place a lander at the bottom of a valley so that we can see how the temperature might give conditions where life might exist at the bottom of the valley.

And, we need to add a facility to float balloons up from the surface to calibrate the temperature of the atmosphere at different levels. As with the Earth, we might find much higher temperatures than expected.

By: TD

TD — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 01:26:16 +0000

The cloud clip is just amazing. It's easy to imagine a blue sky with the white clouds blowing by. The is the first time the Phoenix mission has made Mars feel close and real. I'm sure I'll have more complaints in the future – but for the moment, Thanks.

By: joe

joe — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:29:55 +0000

That is pretty fricken cool. You are now forgiven for that lame ID card story

By: DuddleyFuddle

DuddleyFuddle — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 23:47:45 +0000

….someday homesick Martian colonists will take time to just watch clouds go by….

By: Tyler Durden

Tyler Durden — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 23:14:00 +0000

I thought Mars' atmosphere was 100 times thinner than Earth's?

Why should we see clouds at all – was there a sandstorm in the vicintity?

By: Ralph Rewes

Ralph Rewes — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 21:27:28 +0000

These cloud clips are superb. Kudos to NASA for them. We need more down to earth photos like that, Plus pictures from controversial shapes elsewhere.

By: Gabriel

Gabriel — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 21:02:14 +0000

This is nice but where is the movie clip?

By: astrocrazy

astrocrazy — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 20:53:04 +0000

I was just thinking how far we have come from the time of Giovanni Schiaparelli … and what are the ups and downs of information which we have found out about this neighbour of us.. It is just makes me feel so proud to be a Human….
Cheers to the whole Human Race and its advancements which made this beautiul movie….

By: Trippy

Trippy — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 19:14:48 +0000

Hey Nancy.

Found this one on the Phoenix site:
http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/images/gallery/lg_26185.jpg

Empty scoop above an open cell.

I wonder if they went for a dump, but haven't gotten around to telling anybody yet (waiting final confirmation that the soil actually went in or some-such thing).