NationStates Jolt Archive

Thats right, after landing 3 different probes over almost a decade, extraterrestrial water has been found on mars. This is exciting! I'm excited! Score 1 for science and 1 for NASA.

There is water ice on Mars within reach of the Mars Phoenix Lander, NASA scientists announced Thursday.

Photographic evidence settles the debate over the nature of the white material seen in photographs sent back by the craft. As seen in lower left of this image, chunks of the ice sublimed (changed directly from solid to gas) over the course of four days, after the lander's digging exposed them.

"It must be ice," said the Phoenix Lander's lead investigator, Peter Smith. "These little clumps completely disappearing over the course of a few days, that is perfect evidence that it's ice."

The confirmation that water ice exists in the area directly surrounding the lander is big and good news for the Martian mission. NASA's stated goal for the Mars Phoenix was to find exactly this -- water ice -- and then analyze it. With the latest news, the first step is accomplished. All that's left now is to get the water into the Phoenix's instruments, a task which has occasionally proven more difficult than anticipated.

Still, this is the best opportunity that humanity has ever had to analyze extraterrestrial water in any form. That had the Phoenix Lander's persona fired up.

"Are you ready to celebrate? Well, get ready: We have ICE!!!!! Yes, ICE, *WATER ICE* on Mars! w00t!!! Best day ever!!" the Mars Phoenix Lander tweeted at about 5:15 pm.

Their suspicions about water ice beneath the surface of Mars confirmed, scientists and the world will have renewed interest in the outcome of the soil analyses currently being conducted by the lander.

The samples are being examined for traces of organic molecules, among other substances, but the lander does not have instruments that could directly detect life.

http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/06/mars-phoenix-tw.html

What I really like about the recent Mars missions is that they have shown what a dynamic place Mars really is. Many scientists used to think that Mars was a dead rock. But now we are learning about Mars' atmosphere, its weather, and (gasp) its water!

Huzzah!
http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/futurama5.jpg

Meh. I have water too. You don't see me bragging about it. :rolleyes:

Meh. I have water too. You don't see me bragging about it. :rolleyes:
I'd be more worth bragging about if it wasn't collected 'round your ankles and kept in glasses with Metamucil. :p

Hell yeah!

One thing is bugging me about this though... why does the lander have a Twitter?

Thats right, after landing 3 different probes over almost a decade, extraterrestrial water has been found on mars. This is exciting! I'm excited! Score 1 for science and 1 for NASA.



http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/06/mars-phoenix-tw.html

What I really like about the recent Mars missions is that they have shown what a dynamic place Mars really is. Many scientists used to think that Mars was a dead rock. But now we are learning about Mars' atmosphere, its weather, and (gasp) its water!

er.. is water [H2O] the only thing that Ice could be?

sure it dissappeared after a course of a few days, but wouldn't Dry Ice (which requires heat as well as oxygen) also take a while to dissappear in a cold/poor oxygen atmosphere?

I would rather a sample was taken and examined. maybe they did and it wasn't reported.

er.. is water [H2O] the only thing that Ice could be?

sure it dissappeared after a course of a few days, but wouldn't Dry Ice (which requires heat as well as oxygen) also take a while to dissappear in a cold/poor oxygen atmosphere?

I would rather a sample was taken and examined. maybe they did and it wasn't reported.

Yeah they are in the process of taking a sample as we speak. But because of infrequent radio contact, and limited solar power, NASA can only operate the probe for like 2 hours every day. The experts say that its either salt or water. And since salt is not known to sublimate at the pressures and temperatures on Mars, then they say its gosta be water, homeboy. Word. East side for life fool.

Yeah they are in the process of taking a sample as we speak. But because of infrequent radio contact, and limited solar power, NASA can only operate the probe for like 2 hours every day. The experts say that its either salt or water. And since salt is not known to sublimate at the pressures and temperatures on Mars, then they say its gosta be water, homeboy. Word. East side for life fool.

Again, the question I posted was... is H2O the only liquid that can form ice?

Again, the question I posted was... is H2O the only liquid that can form ice?

No silly, have you never heard of iced tea?:D

Again, the question I posted was... is H2O the only liquid that can form ice?

No, not by a long shot. It's cold enough that this could just possibly be Carbon Dioxide ("Dry Ice"), or it could be something more exotic.

However, most of the more exotic liquids don't look like water ice when frozen, and we know for a fact that H2O is present in the Martian atmosphere due to spectrographic analysis. So, it's a good bet. We won't know for certain until we can get a good sample into Phoenix's onboard lab.

er.. is water [H2O] the only thing that Ice could be?

sure it dissappeared after a course of a few days, but wouldn't Dry Ice (which requires heat as well as oxygen) also take a while to dissappear in a cold/poor oxygen atmosphere?

I would rather a sample was taken and examined. maybe they did and it wasn't reported.

No, it's not dry ice. :p

The chemistry is a bit complicated, but the short dirty version is that it can't be dry ice.

No, it's not dry ice. :p

The chemistry is a bit complicated, but the short dirty version is that it can't be dry ice.

Stop it right now, for gods sake man pick up the pie, I'm scared of this new LG.

Stop it right now, for gods sake man pick up the pie, I'm scared of this new LG.

*throws a pie consisting of solid, liquid and gas in equilibrium.*

Stop it right now, for gods sake man pick up the pie, I'm scared of this new LG.

Slowly, but surely, the assimilation is proceeding.

Oh good, it has water. Does that mean we can start shipping our politicians there since it can sustain alien life? :p

Slowly, but surely, the assimilation is proceeding.

Indeed. :)

No, it's not dry ice. :p

The chemistry is a bit complicated, but the short dirty version is that it can't be dry ice.

How about something less complicated then? Like they know how much of an embarrasment it would be to have to retract this, so they wouldn't put out a press release unless they were really confident that they're right.

Stop it right now, for gods sake man pick up the pie, I'm scared of this new LG.

He could be suffering from multiple personality disorder? We may just get "scary" clown next. Or better yet his personality could pick up a feminine persona! :eek:

Can I just add that I know why that poll is there, yet I also don't particularly care much for tomatoes. Thus your poll is discriminatory against know-it-alls who dislike red vegetables.
Thank you.

Not "The moon is a harsh mistress" But rather "Mars is a harsh mistress"

A cookie and blueberry pie for anyone who gets that.:D

It's hard to get excited about this, simply because it's been suspected for so long. Now, if they bring back a sample and find microscopic life in it..

Not "The moon is a harsh mistress" But rather "Mars is a harsh mistress"

A cookie and blueberry pie for anyone who gets that.:D
umm...
Bradbury?
Heinlein?
Asimov?
One of those three, am I right? It sounds like something one of those guys who write.

It's hard to get excited about this, simply because it's been suspected for so long. Now, if they bring back a sample and find microscopic life in it..

It's not like they found a vast natural beer deposit...

umm...
Bradbury?
Heinlein?
Asimov?
One of those three, am I right? It sounds like something one of those guys who write.

Heinlein. One of his better pieces, before he started getting weird.

http://teo.esuper.ro/wp-content/images/water.jpg

Heinlein. One of his better pieces, before he started getting weird.

except his best was his "wierdest"; i.e. strainger in a strainge land.

however, the harsh mistress, aside from the moon itself, had something to do with mass drivers and near sentient computers. so i'm not quite getting the connection. asside from the romantic notions generally.

try the red mars, green mars, blue mars series, (NOT written by hienline, i forget the author's name at the moment, shame on me) if the reference is about the politics of terriforming and colinization.

=^^=
.../\...

It's not like they found a vast natural beer deposit...

Mm, Marshead Beer.

umm...
Bradbury?
Heinlein?
Asimov?
One of those three, am I right? It sounds like something one of those guys who write.

Heinlein. But you took three guesses so you only get a third of the cookie, and a third of the pie. *Gives third of cookie and pie to Zombie potatoheads*

Heinlein. One of his better pieces, before he started getting weird.

You mean like the one where a guy impregants himself using a time machine? Yeah, that was creepy.

except his best was his "wierdest"; i.e. strainger in a strainge land.

however, the harsh mistress, aside from the moon itself, had something to do with mass drivers and near sentient computers. so i'm not quite getting the connection. asside from the romantic notions generally.

try the red mars, green mars, blue mars series, (NOT written by hienline, i forget the author's name at the moment, shame on me) if the reference is about the politics of terriforming and colinization.

=^^=
.../\...

Kim Stanley Robinson. Another excellent read.

except his best was his "wierdest"; i.e. strainger in a strainge land.

however, the harsh mistress, aside from the moon itself, had something to do with mass drivers and near sentient computers. so i'm not quite getting the connection. asside from the romantic notions generally.

try the red mars, green mars, blue mars series, (NOT written by hienline, i forget the author's name at the moment, shame on me) if the reference is about the politics of terriforming and colinization.

=^^=
.../\...

I can't believe you guys started talking about heinlein in my absence. What a cool book. I got one for you guys. What do a goldfish and a laser beam have in common? Anybody remember what Mike said?

Score another one for NASA. Ever since Mike Griffin took over, things have been looking up for NASA. First Project Constellation, then the ballsy EVA during STS-120, and now solid water ice on mars. Good time to be a NASAite.

I just hope that the next president doesn't replace Griffin, or cut NASA's already tiny budget.