Water/Ice found on Mars

[Deepak]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/20/science/space/20mars.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

After a decade of shouting, “Follow the water!” in its exploration of Mars, NASA can finally say that one of its spacecraft has reached out, touched water ice and scooped it up.

Now, scientists will be able to tackle the main question they hope to answer: Did the ice ever melt and turn Mars into a habitable place?

In a photograph released Thursday evening of a trench that the Phoenix Mars lander has dug into the Martian soil, some white patches that were seen earlier in the week have shrunk, and eight small chunks have disappeared. Until now, scientists were not sure if the white material was ice or some kind of salt.

When exposed to air, water ice can change into water vapor, a process known as sublimation. Salt, on the other hand, is not capable of such a vanishing act.

“It must be ice,” said Dr. Peter H. Smith of the University of Arizona, the mission’s principal investigator. “The whole science team thinks this. I think we feel this is definite proof that these are little chunks of icy material.”

 

[nutball]

Ummm... is this story trying to claim that this is the first evidence of ice / water on Mars?

 

[Deepak]

These images were acquired by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Surface Stereo Imager on the 21st and 25th days of the mission, or Sols 20 and 24 (June 15 and 19, 2008).

These images show sublimation of ice in the trench informally called "Dodo-Goldilocks" over the course of four days.

In the lower left corner, lumps disappear, similar to the process of evaporation.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/images/press/14060.html

 

[nutball]

I guess not. Gah, this PR stuff leaves a bad taste

 

[DJ12]

All the stars and planets (and other life) there must be in the universe and Scientist still harp on about our conditions for life being the only way for it to happen.

Here is the picture in colour, seems pretty convincing to me. It's amazing what they can do in a sound stage in Florida these days

 

[Mize]

Still waiting on the analytical verification that it is water and not some other frozen compound.

 

[Mize]

When exposed to air, water ice can change into water vapor, a process known as sublimation. Sal

You mean atmosphere, not air, and CO2 does likewise as do many other compounds.

 

[RussSchultz]

Actually, I think the sentence should have stopped at 'exposed'.

I'm pretty sure CO2 (dry ice) would sublimate in a vacuum, also.

 

[KimB]

All the stars and planets (and other life) there must be in the universe and Scientist still harp on about our conditions for life being the only way for it to happen.

I don't think any scientists who work in this field actually say that. It's just that this is the one set of circumstances which we are sure can lead to life.

 

[DJ12]

I don't take an active interest in the subject to be honest, but whenever I see an "expert" on TV that's the sort of thing they say.

 

[KimB]

I don't take an active interest in the subject to be honest, but whenever I see an "expert" on TV that's the sort of thing they say.

Anything you see on TV is pared down to the barest essentials, in order to allow it to be presented in sound bites. You won't see the subtleties mentioned on TV.

 

[MfA]

I'm pretty sure CO2 (dry ice) would sublimate in a vacuum, also.

It would sublimate period, the temperature is way above boiling point.

 

[Sxotty]

Actually, I think the sentence should have stopped at 'exposed'.

I'm pretty sure CO2 (dry ice) would sublimate in a vacuum, also.

Just think if there were loads of dry ice there then you could do a total recall thing I read previously that water on the surface is broken down into H2 and O2. If that is really true then you could not do the same with water to warm the planet.

Terraforming yay.

 

[Mize]

Finally confirmed:

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/jul/HQ_08_195_Phoenix_water.html