Phoenix Mars Lander status update 10-30-08

Mike — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:04:22 +0000

Mission engineers at NASA’S Jet Propulsion Laboratory are looking for ways to conserve power onboard the Phoenix Mars Lander. The spacecraft has far surpassed it’s lifetime expectancy by lasting into a fifth month of functionality. It was only scheduled to last for three months after landing in the Martian polar region.

As autumn weather conditions deteriorate and temperatures fall, the Phoenix Mars Lander uses more power than it generates, so it’s only a matter of time before the robot explorer will expire. It’s a real tribute to the engineering teams how well this spacecraft has exceeded it’s intended capacity for scientific exploration.

It’s no wonder the lander is starting to shut down. The weather conditions on planet Mars in the northern hemisphere are pretty fierce, and getting more extreme as the planet shifts into it’s autumn phase. Huge dust storms and atmospheric ice clouds block out sunlight to solar panels that generate power to spacecraft. Extreme temperatures range from -141 degrees (F) overnight to -50 degrees (F) during the day.

NASA The Latest from Mars www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mars

Leonid Meteor Shower

Mike — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 05:21:00 +0000

The Leonid meteor shower peaks on November 18th, in what astronomers are calling an average show this year. Sky gazers can see anywhere from 10 to 15 meteors an hour, which is pretty typical for this shower. Look toward the constellation Leo and it’s brightest star Regulus. A nice bonus this year is the appearance of the planet Saturn, just below Leo.

astronomy.com

space.com

wikipedia.org

This Crazy Cosmos » Planet

Phoenix Mars Lander status update 10-30-08

Leonid Meteor Shower