• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

riyaz.net

Tech Tips and Tutorials for SAP Professionals and Bloggers

  • Home
  • WordPress
  • Tips & Tricks
  • Internet
  • SAP
    • SAP PI
    • SAP ABAP
  • Personal Finance
  • Health & Fitness
  • Travel & Leisure
You are here: Home / Technology / Phoenix lander confirms presence of water ice on Mars

Phoenix lander confirms presence of water ice on Mars

June 23, 2008 by Guest Authors

Ice found on Mars
In the lower left corner of the left image, a group of lumps is visible. In the right image, the lumps have disappeared, similar to the process of evaporation.
Image: NASA/JPL

For the first time ever, NASA has confirmed the presence of water ice on Mars. The Phoenix lander which landed on Mars on May 25, has confirmed to scientists that the white substance it found while digging a trench on June 15, is water ice.

“It is with great pride and a lot of joy that I announce today that we have found proof that this hard bright material is really water ice and not some other substance,” said Peter Smith, the primary investigator for Phoenix, at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

The chunks were left at the bottom of a trench informally called “Dodo-Goldilocks” when Phoenix’s Robotic Arm enlarged that trench on June 15, during the 20th Martian day, or sol, since landing. Several were gone when Phoenix looked at the trench days later. Though the chunks were visible on June 16, when Phoenix looked at the trench again on June 19, some of the material appeared to have evaporated, or melted.

“This tells us we’ve got water ice within reach of the arm, which means we can continue this investigation with the tools we brought with us,” said primary investigator for Phoenix’s stereo imager, Mark Lemmon.

Scientists are planning to examine the substance and the soil surrounding it more closely. They plan to test it for signs of organic material and minerals. Scientists hope to find out if the ice was ever a liquid which could have supported microbial life.

In December of 2006, scientists announced that the Mars Global Surveyor captured images of deposits in gullies on the surface of the planet Mars which have been created since the areas were photographed nine years ago. These deposits were believed to be the residue of liquid water breaking out of cliffs and crater walls, carrying sediment downhill through the gullies, and later evaporating. The gullies are located inside the Terra Sirenum crater and the Centauri Montes regions.

In June of 2007, the European Space Agency’s Mars Express spacecraft discovered ice deposits in the South Pole of Mars that are larger than the state of Texas. Scientists say that there is enough water in the deposits to cover the entire planet with up to 36 feet of water if the ice was to melt.

Source: Wikinews

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: News & Views

About Guest Authors

Primary Sidebar

Popular Guides

  • Dropbox Tutorial
  • CDN Setup Guide
  • Blog Design Tips
  • Optimize RSS Feed
  • Create Twitter App
  • Short URLs
  • Password Protect Folders
  • Time Management
  • ALE IDocs Tutorial
  • SAP PI Starter Kit
  • SAP PI Tips
  • Ergonomics

Popular Topics

  • Home
  • WordPress
  • Tips & Tricks
  • Internet
  • SAP
    • SAP PI
    • SAP ABAP
  • Personal Finance
  • Health & Fitness
  • Travel & Leisure

About Riyaz

riyaz.net is a popular technology site with how-to guides, tips and tutorials on personal technology, blogging, social media, web apps, personal finance and SAP.

riyaz.net was launched way back in 2005 by web designer, blogger and SAP Consultant Riyaz Sayyad from Pune, India. Over the years the site has grown into a full featured online community with thousands of visitors daily from around the world. Read more.

Copyright © 2023 ยท riyaz.net