Posted by
Gray Ghost on Sunday, June 01, 2008 4:11:16 PM
The following photograph was taken by the Robotic Arm Camera on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander. This image, from underneath the lander, was captured on the fifth Martian day (or sol) of the mission. The Lander's descent thrusters are clearly visible at the top of the image. NASA representatives released the following concerning this image:
"This view from the north side of the lander toward the southern leg shows smooth surfaces cleared from overlying soil by the rocket exhaust during landing. One exposed edge of the underlying material was seen in Sol 4 images, but the newer image reveals a greater extent of it. The abundance of excavated smooth and level surfaces adds evidence to a hypothesis that the underlying material is an ice table covered by a thin blanket of soil."
This is a truly amazing!