Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Mars Lander Finds Ice... or Salt

Scientist debate mysterious white substance

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Jun 17, 2008 1:20 PM CDT

(Newser) – The Phoenix Mars lander has found… well, something. While digging a pair of trenches on the Red Planet’s North Pole, the little robot sent back images of soil streaked with something white. Now scientists are wondering whether it’s the ice they’d hoped... Read full story »

COMMENTS

Read the comment policy

You need to Log in to Newser to comment. Don't have an account yet? Sign up now!

There are no comments

A snapshot of the day's best news stories.

View Larger Grid

All Today Yesterday Pick a Date

What's Popular Now on Facebook

Cops Shoot Naked Guy Eating Man's Face on Highway

Japanese Artist Serves Up Own Cooked Genitals

Associated Press (Source Grid »)

Twitters from Mars!
Washington Post

No sign of water yet
Los Angeles Times

Science

NASA • Phoenix Mars Lander • ice • salt

More Newser Stories

Mars Through a Microscope

Phoenix takes unprecedented Mars shots

(NEWSER) - The Phoenix Mars Lander has taken the first high-resolution images of another planet's dirt and sand in its continued quest for signs of life in the planet's polar region. The microscopic particles were kicked up when the lander touched down and collected on a slide, Reuters reports. Scientists note that a whitish material in one image probably is not ice but some kind of mineral. More»

Sticky Soil Foils Mars Work

Dirt is sticking to lander's arm, so NASA revising its methods

(NEWSER) - NASA is revising its soil-harvesting method because the Phoenix Mars lander is having trouble with its icy finds, Space.com reports. The lander’s attempts to analyze the soil have been troubled because the soil is sticking to its scoop, stubbornly refusing to fall into the tiny oven designed to melt and study it. Next time, the scoop will dig less and vibrate more. NASA is studying the soil to see whether it could have ever supported life. More»

'You Might Be Able to Grow Asparagus' on Mars

'Flabbergasted' scientists see soil able to support life on red planet

(NEWSER) - Samples of Martian soil analyzed by instruments onboard the Phoenix lander have earth-bound scientists “flabbergasted.” Why? Readings indicate that the extraterrestrial loam could, perhaps has, and possibly will, support life, Reuters reports. Along with ice the lander discovered earlier, “We basically have found what appears to be the requirements, the nutrients, to support life,” a scientist said. More»

On Mars, 'Something That Looks Like Ice'

Phoenix probe sends home photos from arctic region

(NEWSER) - The Phoenix probe sent home photos today of what looks like ice just under Mars' rocky surface, Space.com reports. "The thrusters have excavated two to six inches and, sure enough, we see something that looks like ice,” one mission scientist said. NASA picked the landing spot, in the planet's northern arctic, because it likely hid ice under a thin layer of soil. More»

Saturn Moon May Hide Underground Ocean

Salt water ice spewing out from under the surface

(NEWSER) - Saturn’s moon Enceladus is spewing what appears to be chunks of ice composed of salt-water vapor out of fractures in its southern pole, leading scientists to believe there may be a massive ocean lurking beneath its surface. The plumes were first discovered by the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft some time ago, but new measurements taken in 2008 and 2009 indicate they are much saltier than it seemed at first, the Washington Post reports. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. 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 »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Mars Lander Finds Ice... or Salt

Scientist debate mysterious white substance

NASA • Phoenix Mars Lander • ice • salt

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Mars Through a Microscope

Phoenix takes unprecedented Mars shots

Sticky Soil Foils Mars Work

Dirt is sticking to lander's arm, so NASA revising its methods

'You Might Be Able to Grow Asparagus' on Mars

'Flabbergasted' scientists see soil able to support life on red planet

On Mars, 'Something That Looks Like Ice'

Phoenix probe sends home photos from arctic region

Saturn Moon May Hide Underground Ocean

Salt water ice spewing out from under the surface

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?