Phoenix Mars Lander Extended Mission. Sol 90+ & R.I.P Sol 157.

efron_24 · Sep 18, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Phoenix images crashed HeatShield. Sol 111.Contrary to earlier evidence that suggested the heat shield completely buried itself, it is infact partially exposed. The tiny elongated crater left by the impact of the heatshield has been imaged many times before by Phoenix, but this is the first time that the heat shield itself has been imaged by Phoenix. Perhaps it was dust covered & has now been 'cleaned' by the winds???Andrew Brown. Posted by 3488</DIV> another great image by youthank you !! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

MeteorWayne · Sep 18, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'> These clouds are MUCH larger than I though possible on Mars..ok.. i know about the dust storms, but these are water-clouds aren't theyone would expect hail, snow and thunder when looking at them.. Posted by efron_24</DIV> I suspect of you actually observed them, they would look more like thin cirrus clouds, rather than rain producing dark clouds. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

3488 · Sep 18, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>I suspect of you actually observed them, they would look more like thin cirrus clouds, rather than rain producing dark clouds. Posted by MeteorWayne</DIV>Very much so Wayne. They are thin Cirrus type clouds, but are denser than we've seen so far from Phoenix, but are still pretty thin none the less. Also the Martian sky tends to look a much deeper darker reddish orange at higher angles (because the Mie scattering is less, as the atmosphere is shallower straight up, than towards the horizon), so that too, will tend to make the clouds look bolder than they really are. Andrew Brown.  <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before". Linda Morabito on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.http://www.launchphotography.com/ http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearthhttp://web.me.com/meridianijournal </div>

3488 · Sep 18, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'> another great image by youthank you !! Posted by efron_24</DIV>Hi Chris, It is indeed another great image from Phoenix. I am very glad to be able to share the fruits of this mission with all who are interested.I must admit, I was surprised to see the heatshield like that, as it was thought to have buried itself in the tundra. Clearly it has somehow been exhumed during the past four months or it was just covered in a thin layer of dust that has recently blown off.It will be worth looking at older images to see it slowly becoming more visible.Andrew Brown.  <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before". Linda Morabito on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.http://www.launchphotography.com/ http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearthhttp://web.me.com/meridianijournal </div>

3488 · Sep 18, 2008

Rather nice sky glow from the Sun barely above the horizon at 21:43 HRS LMST Sol 111. <img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/6/13/d6a578e9-10ca-4a94-9d93-580c398b30ce.Medium.jpg" alt="" />  Another here also on Sol 111 @ 21.53 HRS LMST.Looks almost like a Sun Pillar. <img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/2/3/e2d9bb09-7abf-41b2-9329-d1fab4ed7562.Medium.jpg" alt="" />Sol 112 at 11:14 HRS LMST Clouds. <img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/7/4/e752f554-19f4-4008-94f5-cf3cecdef45d.Medium.jpg" alt="" />  Andrew Brown.  <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before". Linda Morabito on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.http://www.launchphotography.com/ http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearthhttp://web.me.com/meridianijournal </div>

Mee_n_Mac · Sep 18, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Phoenix images crashed HeatShield. Sol 111.Contrary to earlier evidence that suggested the heat shield completely buried itself, it is infact partially exposed. The tiny elongated crater left by the impact of the heatshield has been imaged many times before by Phoenix, but this is the first time that the heat shield itself has been imaged by Phoenix. Perhaps it was dust covered & has now been 'cleaned' by the winds???Andrew Brown. Posted by 3488</DIV> Perhaps.  Perhaps that and some of "tundra" covering it was the same water ice we've seen subliming in the bucket and when exposed on the surface.  The impact partially buried the heat shield but it's coverings have been slowly subliming away. I would be interesting to track the heat vs the cracks under the Lander and see if there's any correlation.  <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> -----------------------------------------------------Ask not what your Forum Software can do do on you,Ask it to, please for the love of all that's Holy, STOP ! </div>

mcmurphy · Sep 18, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Hi Chris, It is indeed another great image from Phoenix. I am very glad to be able to share the fruits of this mission with all who are interested.I must admit, I was surprised to see the heatshield like that, as it was thought to have buried itself in the tundra. Clearly it has somehow been exhumed during the past four months or it was just covered in a thin layer of dust that has recently blown off.It will be worth looking at older images to see it slowly becoming more visible.Andrew Brown.  Posted by 3488</DIV>The heat shield seemed clear in HiRise images. The mystery is why Phoenix didn't see it, as with the parachute. It seems Phoenix did see it, but the highest resolution was needed to identify it as anything but a smudge.

mcmurphy · Sep 18, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>The proposal of the 2003 Lander was to embed TEGA & MECA within the body of the lander (SSI & the Meteorolgy station would have been as on Phoenix) enabling a platform to carry Marie Currie, which would be lowered onto the Martian Surface using the Robotic Arm, doubling up as a crane.</DIV> This seems to be a little 2001, a little 2003. TEGA was never part of either. I don't think MECA was part of '03 ('03 was canceled at essentially the same time '01 was). '03 had (in concept) a real Athena paylod, not APEX + Marie Curie (which was '01). The MET station was different than Phoenix's, and the lidar very different--it was boresighted with SSI for dust devil profiling. It's not obvious it could fly like that -- but very fancy on paper.

bc · Sep 18, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Looks like the Phoenix Microphone will be turned on.Will be interesting, to see, well hear how well sound travels in that pathetically thin atmosphere.Andrew Brown. Posted by 3488</DIV>  Regarding recording of sound, do we know when we can expect to hear results? Will the sound be at a pitch too high for us to hear without being modified? What level of fidelity can we expect?  <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

3488 · Sep 19, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>The heat shield seemed clear in HiRise images. The mystery is why Phoenix didn't see it, as with the parachute. It seems Phoenix did see it, but the highest resolution was needed to identify it as anything but a smudge. Posted by mcmurphy</DIV>Hi mcmurphy,I was aware that the elongated crater left by the heatshield was clearly visible in the MRO HiRISE images, but not the actual shield itself. Perhaps I am wrong & need to look again.The parachute apparently is in a very shallow dip, that hides it from Phoenix. If the SSI was slightly taller, the chute would be visible. Perhaps a super res SSI image may catch some of it.Regarding the cancelled 01 & 03 landers, IIRC the 03 lander was to include TEGA & MECA, but the 01 lander was to incorporate inbedded labs, as Marie Currie needed a flat platform during cruise & EDL? The the RA would double up as a crane to hoist Marie Currie to the surface. Yes I was aware that LIDAR was very different & also IIRC the SSI on Phoenix is also a higher resolution oneReplying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'> Regarding recording of sound, do we know when we can expect to hear results? Will the sound be at a pitch too high for us to hear without being modified? What level of fidelity can we expect?  Posted by bc</DIV>Hi bc,Dunno what to expect. I suspect it will be pretty quiet, as that very thin atmosphere is surely very poor at carrying sound. Roughly the same density as Earth's atmosphere is at 30 KM above sea level. My guess is that the microphone recording will be thoroughly examined & if ultrasonic, I am sure the product will be bought down enough octaves for us to hear.But then again, we won't know unless it is switched on.Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before". Linda Morabito on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.http://www.launchphotography.com/ http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearthhttp://web.me.com/meridianijournal </div>

3488 · Sep 19, 2008

Sol 113.Sun & glow Sol 113 @ 22:00 HRS LMST. <img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/12/5/1c3aa97e-56a6-479b-a582-df93aa19b711.Medium.jpg" alt="" /> Snow Queen @ 21:53  HRS LMST Sol 113. <img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/8/9/680fdf34-14b8-4c74-b94d-9a9bdaffa0b6.Medium.jpg" alt="" />Clouds Sol 113 @ 15:22 HRS LMST. <img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/6/12/a6b2aa3e-4230-4d5e-ace3-a2147241b475.Medium.jpg" alt="" /> Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before". Linda Morabito on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.http://www.launchphotography.com/ http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearthhttp://web.me.com/meridianijournal </div>

MeteorWayne · Sep 19, 2008

From SDC:<table border="0"><tbody><tr><td width="355" align="left" valign="top">NASA Extends Mars Lander Mission Again By The Associated Press posted: 19 September 2008 09:57 am ET

efron_24 · Sep 19, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>From SDC:NASA Extends Mars Lander Mission Again By The Associated Pressposted: 19 September 200809:57 am ETLOS ANGELES (AP) — NASA is extending the Phoenix Mars mission again. The three-legged spacecraft has been digging trenches near the Martian north pole since landing on May 25 and its work was supposed to end this month. Phoenix is studying whether the site could have been favorable for microbial life to emerge.NASA spokesman Dwayne Brown said Thursday the space agency will invest about $6 million to keep the Tha$422 million mission going through December.It's the second and possibly last extension since the lander may not survive the upcoming Martian winter.Phoenix is the first craft to touch Martian ice with its robotic arm. It will turn into a weather station once its digging job is finished" I should note there is conflicting information about the length of the extension. The AP story says end of December, while Leonard David of SDC says end of November. I have seen no official news release yet on the NASA site. Posted by MeteorWayne</DIV>  That is very good newsit will turn itself into a weather station soon..The photo's we will see when the area turns white will be spectecular (and all we saw till now already was.. GREAT)I wonder if we will see Dust Devils kicking up the "snow" <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

3488 · Sep 19, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>I should note there is conflicting information about the length of the extension. The AP story says end of December, while Leonard David of SDC says end of November. I have seen no official news release yet on the NASA site. Posted by MeteorWayne</DIV>Cheers Wayne, absolutely bloody brilliant news. <img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/14/2/de989b02-f7ba-40f1-b25e-09a6f3b39a1a.Medium.gif" alt="" /><img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/6/5/b6f32533-ae75-4907-8566-7dccc9e8abc7.Medium.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/12/14/6cea9e50-b201-4a46-9ed3-03748ab7df4f.Medium.gif" alt="" />  <img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/6/1/5653edc4-e92c-4674-a1ed-d013b1bb7758.Medium.gif" alt="" />  <img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/0/4/c02f97d4-def8-4f42-84ef-4c628ef3f766.Medium.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/12/4/1c83584d-3a71-43e3-b498-fddf7d85a94b.Medium.gif" alt="" /> # Only just found out myself from your post, as I finished work late today, been out this evening & have only just gotten back.Checking out the Twitter Site after reading your post. it seems as if the extention will continue into January should Phoenix still be operational. There will be a two week break from approx 28th November to 12th December as Mars will be in solar conjunction between these dates, but the intention is for the Phoenix mission to continue well past solar conjunction exit, & possibly into the start of January 2009.Myself I am very doubtful that phoenix will still be operational in either December or January, but I suppose you never know. The Autmn Equinox is on Boxing Day & the daylight will be getting shorter very quickly at this latitude, each Sol will count, not to mention the plumetting temperatures, both by day & night.Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>  That is very good newsit will turn itself into a weather station soon..The photo's we will see when the area turns white will be spectecular (and all we saw till now already was.. GREAT)I wonder if we will see Dust Devils kicking up the "snow" Posted by efron_24</DIV>I wonder too Chris. Certainly I will be expecting round the clock H2O frost by then. Apparently the CO2 frost is not expected till about next March, when the Sun will rising for less than an hour, prior to the Sun not rising at all from Monday 6th April 2009 to Monday 6th July 2009 inclusive.I dunno, perhaps not every martian year is the same, but if that is true, then we will not be seeing CO2 frost on this mission, unless it shows up during the night, sublimating in the morning. I was hoping we would, I really was, but then that's Physics & can do absolutely sod all about it. Anyway, the weather monitoring at the latitude on Mars during the late Summer into early Autumn will still be a fascinating mission in its own right. Hopefully we will be seeing denser H2O frosts in the mornings, glistening in the low sun, perhaps more dust devils, as the arctic ice cap expands to the north (prior to reaching the Phoenix site), mixing colder & warmer 'air' (if you can call it that on Mars), interesting clouds, maybe martian parhelia & sky glows. We'll see.Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before". Linda Morabito on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.http://www.launchphotography.com/ http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearthhttp://web.me.com/meridianijournal </div>

3488 · Sep 19, 2008

Frost monitoring continues.Sol 144. Alt -16.73 deg Azm 126.05 deg, 00:04 HRS LMST.Familiar scene but taken during the midnight twilight, only four minutes past midnight LMST, as the Sun was about three degrees below the horizon at the time. Wonder what the temperature was? Whatever, this was taken under truly very alien skies & conditions. <img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/6/6/26cd9d21-5ca4-4265-a68e-12db1445df97.Medium.jpg" alt="" />  Snow Queen Sol 114 at 00:00 HRS LMST.Snow Queen taken @ 17 SECONDS past Midnight LMST on Sol 114, with the Robotic Arm Camera. The illumination is from the ambient twilight, with the Sun approx three degrees below the northern horizon at the time.<img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/0/15/80cfee2a-09e9-44f2-af80-89434346c3b2.Medium.jpg" alt="" />  LIDAR Beam at 23:45 HRS LMST on Sol 113.  <img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/0/0/e0d46234-fe95-4f65-9075-7872022113ae.Medium.jpg" alt="" />  Andrew Brown.  <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before". Linda Morabito on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.http://www.launchphotography.com/ http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearthhttp://web.me.com/meridianijournal </div>

3488 · Sep 19, 2008

A couple of recent nice mosaics.Panorama on Sol 113.Sky view on Sol 112. Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before". Linda Morabito on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.http://www.launchphotography.com/ http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearthhttp://web.me.com/meridianijournal </div>

efron_24 · Sep 20, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>[..] I dunno, perhaps not every martian year is the same, but if that is true, then we will not be seeing CO2 frost on this mission, unless it shows up during the night, sublimating in the morning. I was hoping we would, I really was, but then that's Physics & can do absolutely sod all about it. Anyway, the weather monitoring at the latitude on Mars during the late Summer into early Autumn will still be a fascinating mission in its own right. Hopefully we will be seeing denser H2O frosts in the mornings, glistening in the low sun, perhaps more dust devils, as the arctic ice cap expands to the north (prior to reaching the Phoenix site), mixing colder & warmer 'air' (if you can call it that on Mars), interesting clouds, maybe martian parhelia & sky glows.We'll see.Andrew Brown. Posted by 3488</DIV> I do not think every year there is exactly the same.. After the dust storm like the one that went over the planet earlier this year, little changes will be possible.. some of that dust might also have reached this Phoenix place and have it's effect on (ground) temperatures, making the new winter slightly different.. until we have a second lander one day in the future we will not exactly know.  <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

exoscientist · Sep 20, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>90 Days on Mars: Phoenix Lander Sends Martian Postcard. By Tariq Malik SPACE.com Senior Editor posted: 28 August 2008 6:51 pm ET "As the sun dips lower in the Martian sky with each passing day, NASA's solar-powered Phoenix Mars Lander took time this week to send a postcard of sorts to scientists on Earth after more than three months studying the red planet. "Phoenix beamed home a view of its trench-filled worksite after surpassing the 90-day mark of its initial mission to hunt for water ice buried beneath the barren arctic plains of Mars. While the Martian days, or sols, are getting colder and the sun expected to dip completely below the horizon tonight for the first time since Phoenix landed in late May, the probe itself is in fine health, mission managers said. "It's doing fabulously," said Barry Goldstein, NASA's Phoenix project manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "But I've made it clear to the science team that the warranty's over.""http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/080828-phoenix-postcard.html A little disconcerting though to read the comments posted after that article on Space.com. Most of us here on this forum are glad of any tidbit of info that comes from our space probes on Mars. Some interesting info that still might be revealed from Phoenix: 1.)The TECP results have not been reported yet. This has the potential to show that liquid water in the form of brines exists at the Phoenix site. The ever increasing water ice frost deposits might be good places to check for this. 2.)The atomic force microscope has just released its first images. The size of the particles detected are about the size of clay particles. Does it have the capability to determine if they actually are clay particles? 3.)TEGA has not yet detected organics. But the release of CO2 only at high temperatures at least raises the possibility they could be there. Provable detection of organics would be major big story. 4.)Clouds over Phoenix are increasing in size and density. Could we see by the end of the mission water ice snow on Mars? Others? Bob Clark Posted by exoscientist</DIV> Spiky Probe On Phoenix Raises Vapor Quandary. Preliminary results from the latest insertion of the probe's four needles into the ground, on Wednesday and Thursday, match results from the three similar insertions in the three months since landing. by Staff Writers "Tucson AZ (SPX) Sep 05, 2008 A fork-like conductivity probe has sensed humidity rising and falling beside NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander, but when stuck into the ground, its measurements so far indicate soil that is thoroughly and perplexingly dry." http://www.marsdaily.com/reports/Spiky_Probe_On_Phoenix_Raises_Vapor_Quandary_999.html In the Phoenix Microscope images some of the particles look like clay. Clay would also explain the sticky cohesiveness of the soil. Clay has been confirmed at both the Spirit and Opportunity rover landing sites and has been confirmed from orbit in localized deposits.   Clay is very absorbent of water. Clays and other water absorbents such as zeolites have been proposed to explain the high water contents on Mars detected from orbit. If such water absorbents on the surface immediately absorbed the water, would that effect the TECP results?    Bob Clark   <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

3488 · Sep 20, 2008

Thanks Bob.Yes I wonder when the TECP results will be released. My guess is that it takes time for them to be properly analysed. Also the exact compostion of the regolith as determined by TEGA as well as the SSI multispectral images. How much of it is volcanic fallout, impact ejecta (Heimdall Crater), sediments dare say from a long gone sea? How much mixing has happened? Also it will be useful when we get to see the post Sol 99 Weather Reports. On the Twitter Site a few days ago, it was mentioned that -90 C had been breached during the night. Waiting with baited breath!!!!!!!!!Andrew Brown.  <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before". Linda Morabito on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.http://www.launchphotography.com/ http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearthhttp://web.me.com/meridianijournal </div>

3488 · Sep 20, 2008

Clouds scudding across the horizon Sol 113 Afternoon.Snow White Trench with frost. Sol 113 at approx 10:00 HRS LMST. <img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/7/8/97f5fe3d-0f67-490f-a894-69964891bbc7.Medium.jpg" alt="" />  Andrew Brown.  <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before". Linda Morabito on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.http://www.launchphotography.com/ http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearthhttp://web.me.com/meridianijournal </div>

efron_24 · Sep 21, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Clouds scudding across the horizon Sol 113 Afternoon.Snow White Trench with frost. Sol 113 at approx 10:00 HRS LMST.  Andrew Brown.  Posted by 3488</DIV> thanks for the cloud updatethere you clearly see how thin (indeed) they are Great <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

a_lost_packet_ · Sep 21, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Clouds scudding across the horizon Sol 113 Afternoon....Posted by 3488</DIV>Nice animation.  But, I have a question:What are these high albedo "objects" in frames 15 and 29? <img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/6/2/a62ed203-957b-40bc-8284-c54e544d1b5c.Medium.jpg" alt="" /> (Upper area, center, towards top.) <img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/9/2/899c26a8-c566-48e6-a25d-14d51b9e4cf8.Medium.jpg" alt="" />(Middle area, Right. Near horizon.)The pictures in the whole animation are taken about a second apart over 30 secs or so.  These are just two frames.  It's possible that the "objects" might be in other images but showing much less brightly.  It's hard to tell and to feel reasonably confident it isn't a cloud effect.  But, these two images certainly don't look much like a cloud reflection.Could it be Phobos or Deimos or is it something else?  Star?  Meteor?  Whatever they are, they certainly aren't bright for long. A couple of seconds at the most in each section they appear in.  Could we discount a cosmic ray hit if it's not Phobos or Deimos?  I haven't seen examples of cosmic ray hits on imaging equipment from Phoenix and am not sure what, if any, likelihood that is of happening.Just curious.  I would think if it was Phobos/Deimos someone would have caught that and tagged the NASA description for the clip. PS - Given all the info available on positioning, I could plug it into Starry Night and try to figure it out.  But, I don't have that loaded on this machine and am not as familiar with some of the online tools others can use to the same effect.  So, I'll let others chew on it and if there isn't an answer later tonight I'll try to plug in the info and see what I can come up with.  I love space/stars/mars and the planets.  So, I'm a great pilot but I'm terrible at navigation.  IOW, you'd enjoy the ride but would have no idea where you ended up if I was flying around the solar system.

<div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> I put on my robe and wizard hat... </div>

efron_24 · Sep 22, 2008

More news about the South Pole on Mars http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Mars_Express/SEMO78Q4KKF_0.html <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

MeteorWayne · Sep 22, 2008

Replying to: <DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>More news about the South Pole on Mars http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Mars_Express/SEMO78Q4KKF_0.html Posted by efron_24</DIV> Fascinating stuff efron!Thanx It might snow here in NJ in September... ESA has released some results!! j/k Wayne <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

efron_24 · Sep 22, 2008

Might be the Arizona crater... but that is a bit off topic

Phoenix Mars Lander Extended Mission. Sol 90+ & R.I.P Sol 157.

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