Several days ago, NASA's Phoenix lander on Mars dug up some mysterious white clumps. Personally, I like to stray away from any strange white substance I find on the ground, but that's why I'm only an amateur scientist. It was hypothesized that the material may be salt, but that idea has fallen away now that the stuff has vanished. It's looking very likely that this was sub-surface ice that vaporized after being exposed to the open air. This is a good thing, as NASA chose this particular landing site because it was suspected to contain a layer of ice underground. They have a big party coming up, and no one has the time to make an ice run to the convenience store. More details here.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Mars on the Rocks
