Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

November 22, 2008 7:31:35 CST

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Scientists Hail Ice Find on Mars

Posted Jun 20, 08 4:49 CDT in Science & Health 

(Newser) – White material on Mars that was puzzling NASA scientists has turned out to be ice, Wired reports. "Are you ready to celebrate? We have ICE! Best day ever!" gushed a team scientist. The discovery of evidence of water—essential for terrestrial life—is exactly what scientists were hoping to find on Mars.

Experts were initially unsure whether the material uncovered by the lander was salt or ice. But the material has begun to disappear, an indication that it's turning into gas—a sure sign of ice. The next trick will be for the Phoenix Lander to collect the material.

Source Wired

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Mars Lander Falls Silent

    Nov 10, 08 5:11 PM CST
    Mars Lander Falls Silent The Martian autumn has cut power to NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander, ending its mission of scientific discovery, NASA reports. As anticipated, shorter days and increasingly overcast skies are preventing sufficient solar energy from reaching the lander’s power cells. It has already collected data for 2 months longer than its originally planned 90-day mission, yielding information crucial to understanding Mars’ environment.
    More »

  • It's Snowing on Mars

    Sep 30, 08 4:27 CDT
    It's Snowing on Mars Snow has been falling nightly in the Mars atmosphere for about a month now, giving scientists more reason to believe that life may have once existed in the red planet's polar regions. Lasers onboard the Phoenix lander have tracked icy snow falling for a mile from clouds drifting 2.5 miles above the planet’s surface, but they can’t tell whether the snow is reaching the ground, the Washington Post reports.
    More »

  • Mission Accomplished on Mars

    Aug 29, 08 5:32 PM CDT
    Mission Accomplished on Mars Time's almost up for NASA's Mars Phoenix Lander: With its 90-day mission complete, the $480 million project will continue testing soil samples until the punishing winter puts it out of commission. Wired recaps Phoenix triumphs with an interactive timeline, from its flawless landing at Mars' north pole to its groundbreaking analysis of Martian ice and water.     More »

  • Mars Toxin Dims Hopes for Red Planet Life

    Aug 5, 08 8:55 CDT
    Mars Toxin Dims Hopes for Red Planet Life The Phoenix lander has found a toxin in Mars soil that considerably decreases the odds of finding Martian life, Science.com reports. The chemical, perchlorate, is a harsh oxidizing agent often used in solid rocket fuel, so researchers are double checking to ensure it wasn’t carried from Earth. The results are especially surprising because Sunday’s tests revealed no sign of perchlorate. More »

  • NASA Briefs White House on Possible Martian Life

    Aug 2, 08 3:23 PM CDT
    NASA Briefs White House on Possible Martian Life NASA has briefed the White House on its plan to announce a new finding on the "potential for life" on Mars, Aviation Week reports. NASA has no evidence that the red planet has harbored life, but new Phoenix lander discoveries suggest it is possible—a finding that Phoenix officials call far more “provocative” than the mere presence of water. More »

This photo provided by NASA shows the area where the Robotic Arm took a second scoop full of soil and revealed a whitish material at the bottom of the dig area.   (AP Photo)
Peter Smith, principal Investigator for the University of Arizona, raises his hand as he guarantees to project manager Barry Goldstein that there is ice below the surface of Mars last month.   (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
This image provided by NASA and taken by Robotic Arm Camera aboard NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander shows what is believed to be exposed ice under the lander on Saturday May 31, 2008.   (AP Photo/NASA)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 2)

Tags

NASA • Mars • Phoenix Mars Lander • scientific discoveries


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other Science & Health Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »