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Phoenix Deepens Trenches on Mars

Oct. 29, 2008
The Surface Stereo Imager on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander took this false color image on Oct. 21, 2008. The bluish-white areas seen in these trenches are part of an ice layer beneath the soil.

The Surface Stereo Imager on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander took this false color image on Oct. 21, 2008, during the 145th Martian day, or sol, since landing. The white areas seen in these trenches are part of an ice layer beneath the soil.

The trench on the upper left, called "Upper Cupboard," is about 60 centimeters (24 inches) long and 3 centimeters (1 inch) deep. The trench in the middle, called "Ice Man," is about 30 centimeters (12 inches) long and 3 centimeters (1 inch) deep. The trench on the right, called "La Mancha," is about 31 centimeters (12 inches) and 5 centimeters (2 inches) deep.

The Phoenix mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Photojournal Note: As planned, the Phoenix lander, which landed May 25, 2008 23:53 UTC, ended communications in November 2008, about six months after landing, when its solar panels ceased operating in the dark Martian winter.

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