Posts tagged mars

Links for 2008-10-02

• NASA Mars Lander sees falling snow, soil data suggest liquid past [NASA] Snow detected and evidence of past interaction between minerals and water on Mars.
• Four years [43 Folders] Merlin Mann’s site “about finding the time and attention to do your best creative work” is four years old.
• The 25 most influential people on the web [BusinessWeek] The 2008 list compiled by BusinessWeek readers and staff.
• Time Out at 40 - Covers archive [Time Out] A selection from the distinctive covers of London’s listing magazine.

Links for 2008-08-12

• New Number10 site goes live [Puffbox] Powered by WordPress!
• Time Out at 40 [Observer] London’s ground-breaking listings magazine is forty, its covers have always distinctive; some background from ex-Editor Dominic Wells.
• Phoenix discovery may be bad for Mars life [New Scientist Space Blog] Has perchlorate, a highly oxidising substance, been found, or is it connected with rocket fuel?
• Obituary: Sir Bill Cotton [Guardian]

Links for 2008-07-18

• New findings show diverse, wet environments on ancient Mars [SpaceRef]
• 30+ must-have updated Firefox 3 extensions [Mashable]
• 30 year railway strategy lasts just one year [Christian Wolmar]
• Full steam again [Guardian]
• Our electric future [The American]
• Nick Cave: part of me is screaming to get out [Telegraph.co.uk]

Links for 2008-07-11

• Guardian Media Group buys paidContent for $30 million [All Things Digital]
• Digital TV takeup growth continues [Guardian]
• Flickr on TV [BBCi Labs]
• Phoenix diary: Mission to Mars [BBC]
• The Faces likely to reunite [NME]

Martian soil could support life

Phoenix Lander scientists believe Martian soil appears to contain sufficient nutrients to support life.

Preliminary analysis on the planet’s soil have found it to be much more alkaline than expected.

In another development Phoenix has scraped to icy soil confirming that surface, subsurface and icy soil can be sampled at a single trench.

The mission appears to be making excellent progress, with the possibility of discovering evidence of Martian life either now, or in the past, seemingly increasing on a daily basis.

Ice found on Mars?

It looks like the Phoenix Mars Lander may have found ice on Mars.

If the discovery of ice is confirmed it would vastly increase the chances of finding life on Mars now or evidence of life in the past.

Such a discovery would be likely to lead to a step change in our perception of the universe.

Ice under Phoenix?

A picture by the Robotic Arm Camera of NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander reveals smooth surfaces cleared by the rocket exhaust during landing.

Is this ice?

The Phoenix has landed

Excellent news that Phoenix has successfully landed on Mars.

Landing further north than any previous mission, it’s going to dig into expected water-ice beneath the surface and look for evidence of the building blocks of life.

If it leads to the discovery of life previously on Mars it would be fantastic.

If it leads to the discovery of life now on Mars now it would be brilliant.

I’ll be following the mission with interest.