http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080519m.html

==quote==

Flying Over the Columbia Hills of Mars

Animated Illustration Credit: Doug Ellison, Randolph Kirk (USGS), MSSS, MER, NASA

 

Explanation: What it would be like to fly over Mars? Combining terrain data from the orbiting Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft with information about the robotic Spirit rover currently rolling across Mars has resulted in a digital movie that shows what a flight over the Columbia Hills might look like. Dark rippled sand dunes are highlighted against the Columbia Hills in the above opening image. Clicking on the above image, though, will launch you across Mars, approaching the Columbia Hills. On the far side of the hills, the dark sand dunes come into view. Soon you pass an unusual white-rimmed structure, slightly raised, known as Home Plate, the origin of which is currently unknown and being researched. Turning, you re-approach the hills from a different angle, this time zooming in on Spirit, a curious alien rover sent from planet Earth. A final zoom pans out over the region. This coming Sunday, NASA's Phoenix Lander will attempt to set down near the icy North Pole of Mars and search for signs of ancient life.

 

==endquote==

That was the first thing I saw this morning after waking up and logging in. It really is fantastic. I felt like I was there.

Did you see today's animation?

 

You must click the link and play if you haven't already. It's another really cool one.

 

 

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080525.html

 

 

 

 

 

Phoenix Lander Arrives at Mars

Animated Illustration Credit & Copyright : MAAS Digital, SVV Project, NASA

 

Explanation: Will Phoenix survive its landing today on Mars? Phoenix's landing sequence will ramp up starting at about 7:30 pm EDT (23:30 UTC) today and last just over an hour. If all goes well, one of Phoenix's first images from Mars will appear on APOD tomorrow. The Phoenix Lander is programmed to set down near the North Pole of Mars, and, over the next three months, sample alien soil and ice and look for conditions conducive for ancient microbial life. Shown above is an

of what it might look like to see Phoenix land on Mars. In the animated sequence, the Phoenix spacecraft arrives at Mars, deploys its breaking

, jettisons its heat shield, fires it thrusters, lands, unfurls its solar panels, deploys its instruments, scoops up some of Mars, and begins its analysis.

These are...awesome....

Thanks iNow!

Great link. Here's hoping it makes a good landing.

The BBC article is here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7399226.stm

I read that article this morning, I thought it was rather interesting.

Permafrost has been detected around the landing site, not massively exciting, but there it is...article from physicsworld

 

http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/34379;jsessionid=6E28E819B4291E21ADCC406B0A18914D