It sounded familiar to me as well. I'm thinking New Scientist probably noticed that and gave them a call, because they got a little more info.

I agree mars_loon, it seems that the $%^#*#^# previously erratic gas flow has now stopped completely. So we have to rely on the gases created in situ from the sample to carry stuff of lower concentration to the mass spectrometer. We probably kiss quantitative results goodbye, more or less (although the "intermittent" gas flow may have affected previous TEGA measurements too).

Mars hits back, but we will endure

Well they identify and quote their source and provide more information than the official update so I think this time we can forego the salt.

The update http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/08_29_pr.php states that 'At least one ice water cloud has been observed'. Does this imply that the clouds observed are mainly high CO2 ice?

http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/08_29_pr.php



My recollection was that the early short problem -- end of May? -- in TEGA was in the shared carrier gas apparatus.

Edit: UMSF article



Check that. Next article there says:



Where was that initial short?

Edit: Nevermind. Ionization apparatus. Space.com:

sol 103 OM45 EDF montage:



EDF - Extended Depth of Field.

This was created from 27 images exposed over a 13 minute period. The image is the sharpest at each point of three focus positions - except where the soil moved.

Oh. Now that is just simply magnificent.

Hungry Phoenix...!

Click to view attachment

The Phoenix Twitter seems to backup the part of this story regrading filling up all the ovens ASAP.

Animated GIF Sol 103 Telltale + clouds : here it is !
Enjoy !
Click to view attachment

We're not in Kansas anymore!

On a more serious note, it looks like there are multiple cloud layers. Though it is most certainly an illusion, the sky in that animation reminds me of scud clouds racing on below a cumulonimbus.

In any event, I would love to see the LIDAR data for anytime in the vicinity of that period!


-- Pertinax

...and here is the processing showing the fine structures in Martian clouds.
Enjoy also this animated GIF (enlarged version to enhance the details in the clouds)
Click to view attachment

sol 104 "sunrise" montage:



I wonder if the "blue" band on the horizon in the first few frames is "real"?

Quite probably real. Blue sunsets, and high altitude clouds have been seen by Viking, MPF and MER.

That was an unfair comment, and I shouldn't have made it -- I was in a bad mood yesterday from lack of sleep. Sorry.

Way cool cloud animation, Olivier!

--Emily

Unnecessary full quote - with pic -removed. Mod.

That's a very cool animation! What speed do you think those clouds are going by at? Also, how fast is the wind blowing at the Martian surface near Phoenix?

I don't recall results being announced yet.

From the CSA page on the Phoenix Meterology Station, typical and extreme conditions are:



Some weather reports from the first few weeks incuded some windspeed statistic and are at CSA Martian Weather Report, mostly 10-20 km/h.

Thanks a lot, Emily !
Here is the sol 94 cloud animation with the movement inside the mirror also.
Enjoy !
Click to view attachment

Wow, this really gave me the impression I was there feeling the wind blow !
Thanks you vikingmars what a great animation !

I just had a chat with Barry Goldstein and though he hadn't noticed the motion-blurred images of the solar panels, he told me it wouldn't surprise him at all if we saw them move. He said they're stiff, but not so stiff that the wind can't move them.

He also said that it looks really unlikely that Phoenix will be heard from again after conjunction. However he had no doubt the mission would be re-extended beyond the September 30 extension up until conjunction.

Current plans call for the final WCL sample on Friday and, if that goes well, a Snow White sample for TEGA this weekend.

--Emily

Adding another wow on the cloud / windsock animation. I can't recall another space animation with both foreground and background visible wind movement. It's two planes of focus coming together for a surreal effect.

sol 104 dust devil:



and a nice animation of another one moving about 1/2 hour later:



Er, was this expected? Have the orbiters spotted dust devil activity in the area?

It might be interesting to work out it's distance from the lander.

Er, was this expected? Have the orbiters spotted dust devil activity in the area?

I can't find it straight away, but I'm sure that Stu or someone posted a HiRise image of the landing site before Phoenix arrived which showed dust devil activity in the area.
Stu? Anyone?

Seeing these from Phoenix's perspective of course gives us all a whole new area of observational work to do...COOL!

Is this what you were thinking of? Context Camera Spots Dust Devils at Phoenix Landing Site

Yes. infact using the RAC to do DD surveys after the arm is parked up for good was mentioned before landing (as, weird though it may see, the RAC has a wider FOV than the SSI)

Doug

Other dust devil is visible on image SS104EFF905438060_165C0R1M1.jpg (top,left)
Click to view attachment
http://www.met.tamu.edu/mars/i/SS104EFF905...0_165C0R1M1.jpg

Another one just in the image before, about a minute earlier. Guess a short life or in formation phase. Looks like the direction of the DDs is circa from east to west or more northward, isn't it?
http://www.met.tamu.edu/mars/i/SS104EFF905...3_165C0LCM1.jpg

Hey another one http://fawkes3.lpl.arizona.edu/images/gallery/lg_30258.jpg that appeared about four minutes earlier than those in Horton's second animation.

I posted this image suggesting it might be either signs of dd activity or maybe even a vent...


Click to view attachment

Another dust devil image here, which looks more impressive in the full-size version:


Click for larger image

Cool, that's the first time I saw DD's at the Phoenix site.

New Scientist seems to be a good source of Phoenix news these days! From their latest story:

The "quote" is the writer's own conclusion.
Her words are in contrast to the project's recent release:

The next soil sample that NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander will deliver to its deck instruments will go to the fourth of the four cells of Phoenix's wet chemistry laboratory, according to the Phoenix team's current plans.

which clearly states there will be another soil sample tested by the wet chemistry instrument.

Perhaps a dust devil made the solar panels vibrate (in addition to cleaning the dust off).

Plenty of interesting noises.


Paolo Amoroso

BTW, any news about turning Mardi on with its microphone?

Ah, now I'd meant to ask that as well with reference to an article I'm writing (chemistry related rather than Phoenix per se). Is it still possible?

Nice spotting on the DDs everyone.
I think that there might be one hiding behind the teltale mast in this 3-frame sequence. I think you can just make out the raised dust trailing the devil. See the third frame with the DD to the right to see what I mean. The same DD?
Click to view attachment

Astro0

Rachel was refering to the Stone Soup Sample. The project release indicates a revisit to Snow White. If Rachael is right then the deep sampling from Stone Soup has not been successful. This would fit the images of a compact and upright sample in the hopper, although a little movement is evident. I am not across the sampling process for the Wet Lab. If, like other samples, it crumbles with time can the sampling still be analysed?

New Scientist seem to be most proactive in establishing what is going on. This is in contrast to the official project releases which are, dare I say it, cosmetic space fillers deficient in substance. The magazine also beat Emily to the punch which is an incredibly difficult feat. Let's give credit where credit is due.

While we are all delighted that the Project has finally released the OM backlog and are grateful for the swift release of other images, information release on other aspects is more in accord with ESA than what we came to expect during the early days of the MER.

"them's fightin' words round here!"

Deep breath....and relax.



EDIT: As a total aside on that... I found a really nice gallery of Phoenix images on the LockheedMartin website.
It's prbably been mentioned elsewhere, but there are quite a few images I hadn't seen before. Some provide a really nice scale on the lander's size compared to people. Very nice to see her this way.
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/products/Pho...derGallery.html

What is this ? Hair, fiber, thread ?
Click to view attachment
http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/images.php?gID=0&cID=283

I see what you mean. Would agree that is the same DD - nice spotted. What distance has it covered in the 50 seconds?
Hehe what a fluke, if it's true.

I quite agree. However, given that this is the publication that gave us puddles on a cliff-face, it is only appropriate to urge caution and seek independent confirmation of what it reports.

That is exactly the way to do this animation, upping the brightness on the mirror, good job!

Does anyone know why the phoenix website seems to be down?

It's back up now.

Problem with the server at the Mother Ship. Service is restored.

Sol 106 colourisation'n tweak of 08.30ish local time images...

Click to view attachment

I know it's not good for Phoenix, but I wish we could see some more frost here...

Beautiful image Stu!
Love the eerie atmosphere

Here's the official take on the dust devils. A total of 12 different sightings of 6 different ones. Pressure sensor seems to have recorded a close pass by one. Several images include one confirming half a centimeter of vertical motion on one solar panel.

I've been behind with news because I waited 3 days to get a phone call from a science team member Tomorrow's only a half day for me, I'll try to write things up as quickly as possible.

--Emily

Sol103 telltale with enhanced mirror view.
Click to view attachment

Also, for those wanting to see the Sol104 DD without downloading the 4.15mb file from the Phoenix website, here's a smaller version (with some colour added for effect - can't help myself!)
Click to view attachment