Energy News  
MARSDAILY
Phoenix Weathers Dust Storm

This is an image of Mars taken from orbit by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's Mars Color Imager (MARCI). The Red Planet's polar ice-cap is in the middle of the image. Captured in this image is a 37,000 square-kilometer (almost 23,000 miles) dust storm that moved counter-clockwise through the Phoenix landing site on Oct 11, 2008, or Sol 135 of the mission. Viewing this image as if it were the face of a clock, Phoenix is a shown as a small white dot, located at about 10 AM. The storm, which had already passed over the landing site earlier in the day, is located at about 9:30 AM. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems
by Staff Writers
 Pasadena CA (SPX) Oct 15, 2008
 The Phoenix Lander over the weekend successfully weathered a regional dust storm that temporarily lowered its solar power, and the team is back investigating the Red Planet's northern plains.

The increasing opacity in the atmosphere from the storm decreased the power reaching the Phoenix's solar arrays. So on Martian days, or sols, 135-136 of the mission (Oct. 11-12), Phoenix scientists and engineers curtailed many of the lander's science activities, such as collecting some data from its onboard science laboratories.

The 37,000 square-kilometer storm (nearly 23,000 miles) moved west to east, and weakened considerably by the time it reached the lander on Saturday, Oct. 11.

This tamer storm put the spacecraft in a better than expected situation, said Ray Arvidson of Washington University in St. Louis, the lead scientist for Phoenix's Robotic Arm.

Now the lander is busy meting out its power to analyze soil samples, collect atmospheric data, and conduct other activities before fall and winter stop Phoenix cold.

"Energy is becoming an issue, so we have to carefully budget our activities," Arvidson said.

The Phoenix team tracked the dust storm last week through images gleaned from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's Mars Color Imager.

The imager's team estimated that after the dust storm passed through Phoenix's landing site on Saturday, the dust would gradually decrease this week.

This dust storm is a harbinger of more wintry and volatile weather to come. As Martian late summer turns into fall, the Phoenix team anticipates more dust storms, frost in trenches, and water-ice clouds. They look forward to collecting data and documenting this "most interesting season," Arvidson said.

Community
 Email This Article
 Comment On This Article
Share This Article With Planet Earth
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit
YahooMyWebYahooMyWeb GoogleGoogle FacebookFacebook



Related Links
 Phoenix at LPL
Phoenix at NASA
 Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Lunar Dreams and more


Memory Foam Mattress Review
SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS
 Solar Energy Solutions
Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ...
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


MARSDAILY
The Sun Is Setting On Phoenix
 Moffett Field CA (SPX) Oct 14, 2008
 As fall approaches Mars' northern plains, NASA's Phoenix Lander continues to dig into the red planet's soil and deliver samples to its onboard science instruments for analysis.






ENERGY TECH
  • Providing Power When There is None
  • OPEC Oil Output Down 340,000 b/d In September
  • New Generation Biofuels Announces First Sale To Industrial Heating Customer
  • 2008 Report On Wind Power Generation In United States

    • CIVIL NUCLEAR
  • PPL Applies For New Nuclear Unit License
  • Cancer diagnoses delayed as Dutch reactor to stay shut till Feb
  • US says no decision 'yet' on removing NKorea from blacklist
  • Lithuania to vote on delaying EU-agreed nuclear shutdown

    • BLUE SKY
  • Measuring The Weight Of Ancient Air
  • On Rocky Mountain Beetle Kill Could Impact Regional Air Quality
  • An Explanation For Night-Shining Clouds At The Edge Of Space
  • Seabird Ammonia Emissions Contribute To Atmospheric Acidity

    • WOOD PILE
  • Cross Kingdom Conflicts On A Beetle's Back
  • Rainforest dwellers caught between business, green groups
  • Consensus takes form on forests and climate change
  • Wetlands Restoration Not A Panacea For Louisiana Coast

    • FARM NEWS
  • Developing Wireless Soil Sensors To Improve Farming
  • China announces biggest bust in milk scandal
  • China more than triples figure for children hospitalised over milk
  • Horizons '08 - Agriculture's Future: Value Or Volume

    • CAR TECH
  • Software thwarts mobile phone chatting while driving
  • Beijing's new traffic rules fail to curb gridlock, pollution
  • Promising New Material That Could Improve Gas Mileage
  • CarTel Personalizes Commutes By Using Wifi To Network Cars

    • AEROSPACE
  • Researchers Scientists Perform High Altitude Experiments
  • Airbus expecting 'large' China order by early 2009: CEO
  • Airbus globalises production with China plant
  • Safer Skies For The Flying Public

    • NUCLEAR SPACE
    The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement