Mars Lander May Have Spotted Water

(AP)  Did NASA's Phoenix Mars lander find evidence of liquid water before it froze to death?

Some scientists think so. In a provocative new paper, 22 members of the mission argue that droplets seen on Phoenix's leg were from liquid water that splashed during landing.

Scientists propose that the perchlorate salts near the landing site acted as an antifreeze by lowering the freezing point of ice, causing it to melt into a salty liquid. When Phoenix landed in the arctic plains, some of that liquid splashed onto its leg, they said.

Scientists point to images taken by the lander that show some of the droplets merged with each other and grew in size, behavior that is consistent with liquid water, they said.

But other team members say the images are too fuzzy to support the extraordinary claim.

"It's highly unlikely that that's the explanation," said Michael Hecht of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which managed the $475 million mission. "It's just water vapor moving around. It's an ordinary, unexciting explanation."

Phoenix landed near the Martian north pole in May and spent five months digging into the soil and ice.

It confirmed the presence of ice at its landing site and became the first robotic probe to taste it by melting it. It also discovered an abundant amount of the chemical perchlorate, a highly oxidizing salt, in dirt samples.

The current Mars environment is too cold and its atmosphere too thin to support liquid water on the surface.

The new results will presented later this month at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference meeting in Houston.

[BCCM]

It's very difficult to take a picture of water that doesn't exist. It amazes me how common sense at NASA is routinely brushed aside. The formation of a Hydrogen Oxygen bond can only occur within a very narrow framework of temperatures and pressures. I was told by a scientist at UCLA our lunar sample wasn't lunar because it had water bearing mineralogy. He is an expert in geochemistry. We asked him, "can you tell us the name of this water bearing mineralogy? He repeatedly refused so we knew he was lying. We pointed out to him that, minerals (that by chemical analysis) crystallized at nearly ~2,900 degrees F at the high end of the series are not going have water since it has a boiling point of just under 200 degrees F. They got caught in numerous lies.

http://www.bccmeteorites.com/misconduct-planetary.html

[everlaw01]

So.

Where not going there....

We have to give all our money to the Democrats/

[hetup-2009]

I am anxious to see a moon base established that can flash lighted signs for advertising.

[edjceox]

Bush said we are going to mars. Any word on when he and Laura are leaving?

[daffy64]

Um, that can't be water. Its 400 below zero! 'Drops of liquid methane' maybe, but not water.

--

Did you read the article. It's not 400 below and brines can exist at low temperatures and pressures.

[frank-e1]

All that money just to search for Bin-Laden. What a waste!

[NotRedNotBlue]

My response to this story - SO WHAT! Space exploration may create and/or sustain industry but it does NOTHING to eliminate the scourge called crack cocaine or poverty or overpopulation.

[tkjtkj]

ahhh my error!!! photo #2 IS the proper one!

Forgive me, Physorg!

[tkjtkj]

Once again, Physorg has failed to recognize just which article here demands a relevent photo. Dont just tell us about such a thing! Why not put the actual photo's here!??

[Questionews]

Have they found a home for Bush there yet?
Posted by glidescube at 6:23 AM : Mar 12, 2009

I knew there would be more mentally ill posting their political obsessed remarks on a story about mars. Seek help!!