An Icy Discovery on Mars, but Where's the Water?
A couple of years ago the Mars Odyssey spacecraft had discovered signs of water ice several inches below the surface. In a follow up experiment about two months ago water ice was discovered on Mars by NASA! However, since then NASA's Phoenix Mars lander has not found any more water.
Bits of water vapor were detected in the Martian air by Phoenix's weather station. Scientists expected that as the nighttime temperature got colder with the capacity of moisture Martian air can hold, this would result in minuscule specks of moisture falling to the ground, landing on dust particles. Then a probe would pick up the presence of water. But Mars has not cooperated.
The first time it worked, but since then it has not worked. On Earth, when this happens it results in morning dew. Scientists are currently troubleshooting why it worked the first time but has not since. They might try to stick the probe deeper into the soil closer to the ice layer.
This ice discovery was huge in the search to find life on Mars, but another step won't happen unless they find more water!
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/09/science/09mars.html?ref=todayspaper
EO
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