Hmmm, I don't know; looks interesting. If it's not debris from the landing, maybe it's some sort of crystal?

Not crystal, and definitely not hair
It's a fiber from earth, and it looks to be 40-50 microns thick and 1.5-2 mm long.
Sorry but I don't see anything interesting about it.

The most likely explanation is that it is something off of the spacecraft.. but playing the odds is so easy.

The telltale has been quite active lately. Maybe it's a shred of that damaged material that was tossed about in the recent breezes.

For the record, I agree with you. The odds are that it is something from the spacecraft. But just to play the devil's advocate, what about an asbestos type of mineral? Those can be parted into fibrous pieces, can they not?

Wouldn't that be interesting? We've been seeing that apparently frayed bit of thread in thousands of telltale images for a long time. Still, it would be quite a coincidence.

It's a thread from one of Pathfinder's airbags.

Hey, it's had more than 10 years to get blown halfway across the planet, right?



-the other Doug

Animation of the recent dumping activity on WCL.

I like the devil thing myself, but, well, we are playing with odds here.
Has any chrysotile been found near Phoenix ?
My martian geology is nonexistant, but I googled this, where it says that chrysotile is "a hydrated magnesium ortho-silicate... " Are there such things around ?

I wonder if it is a fibre that somehow come off the WindTeller? I think it is. What are the odds of that being a fibre from Mars Pathfinder airbag? Billions to one against, Trillions to one against? Just a thought.

Andrew Brown.

I believe it's some sort of Mars-originating object. Mineral, vegetable, or animal would all be interesting.

Let me know if it gives birth...

On another forum Hortonheardawho posted a sol 74 image of this cell. No fibre in that image. I also note that the sample itself has changed to a degree in this later imaging. So either the strand comes internal to the OM system or they are trying to re-use cells. But if they were surely they would have said something. Wouldn't they?

A far as I know, these minerals have not yet been confirmed to exist on Mars. Since they are relatively common on Earth, I see no reason to doubt they could also be relatively common on Mars, despite the somewhat different geological histories of the planets. I think there are other geologists here who could offer more insight along those lines than I am able to provide.

But as you say, we are playing with odds here. During my lifetime, I have looked at a lot of samples of things under various microscopes, and I have very infrequently noticed fibrous impurities in mineral samples on Earth...and I never found an obvious chrysotile impurity in the sample, regardless of the fact that chrysotile is a relatively common mineral in the mines of Earth.

For me, finding a microscopic fiber on Mars seems to strongly suggest that the thread took a ride from Earth, as all the previous fibers have.

Tell-Tale...

(but I like your name, maybe for a future Mars mission..)

Some new pics up on my Phoenixpics Gallery wall, if anyone fancies a look...

Sol 108 where are you?

It's been about 48 hours since Sol 107 Raw Images began to arrive. And, so far only 52 of them have been put on the Web.

Phoenix on Mars in more than halfway into Sol 109.

Where are the Sol 108 Raw Images? And, the remainder of the Sol 107?

Anyone heard? Are we getting into weekend staffing schedules where nothing much happens here on Earth?

Maybe a server is bust, maybe a script broke, maybe there was a downlink issue. What I know for sure is that you should chill out

Stu, cool 'imagefest'.

For prosterity, I think you should tag the images with the trench name or direction of view or other identification in addition to the sol number as once Phoenix goes out with whimper (as opposed to a bang) we are going to be spending a lot of time and energy revisiting all the images posted on or linked to this site. But the OM 'jewels' image you are now using as an avatar still gets my vote at the 'prettiest' image ex Phoenix to date.

The TAMU SSI site is still updating, currently through sol 109. It describes sol 108 as a 'Runout', which might be the cause of the delay in the LPL's page updates.

Ahhhh... Thanks. Got my fix.

Yeah, the label for 108 was changed to "Runout". I was hoping to see a TEGA Oven #1 icy-soil delivery as the label previously foretold.

We'll get there. Thanks for the tip.

Animation Sol108 DD
Click to view attachment

I think there is a way to insert the Golden Goose soil sample into the WCL-3. As you can see to my sketch, Phoenix team could push the large pile of soil on top of the WCL-3 hopper with the scoop (image 2). Some of the soil would be inserted from the hopper slots and hanged into the cell (image 3). Then by vibrating the hopper (image 4) some of the soil should fall into the cell, because of its spindly shape and relatively totter pattern (image 5 and 6). I think this method could possibly work. Otherwise, it would be a pity not analysing the very special and interesting Golden Goose soil sample. I`d like to know your opinion about this method.

Does the WCL even have a vibrating hopper? First I've heard of it.

If they were to try something like this, I would imagine it would be one of the last planned activated with the arm to minimise the risk if it all went horribly wrong.

Maybe wait for another dust devil to pass by and shake the whole lander.

Thanks Aussie, appreciate that Yeah, I plan on giving proper labels to the images eventually, not an option right now as I'm just too busy, and having too much fun making them. I'm not trying for accuracy or usefulness, just unashamedly pretty pictures, poster and postcard views if you like.

The "jewels" images are very special to me. I am under no illusions whatsoever that they're anything other than inaccurately coloured follies, but to me they show the beauty of My Mars, the Mars that's been in my head since I was a kid, you know?

A view with TECP - RA and a piece of sky and ground on Sol 108. I particulary love this sort of view

Traces of frost inside the Snow White trench..? (Sol 109 images) 10.22am seems a bit late, but if the frost had been in shadow it might have lingered..?

Click to view attachment

Looks like they're using the inorganic blank

http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/images.php?...479&cID=292

Some frost inside the trench on Sol 100, too...

Sol 110 images coming in...

Present for ya, Aussie...

Click to view attachment

And a second pic here...

Thanks Stu - Keats was right, 'A thing of beauty is a joy forever'. And as far as outreach goes beauty in an image is more important than any scientific aspect in gaining public support for the programs. (The Hubble images being a perfect example). But aesthetics aside, that stuff is highly ferromagnetic. What was the provenance of the sample - anyone have any idea?

They seem to be re-using cells at an ever increasing rate.

Stu makes 'em look like a lovely bunch of flowers

Doug could you tell me your opinion about what I wrote yesterday: I think there is a way to insert the Golden Goose soil sample into the WCL-3. As you can see to my sketch, Phoenix team could push the large pile of soil on top of the WCL-3 hopper with the scoop (image 2). Some of the soil would be inserted from the hopper slots and hanged into the cell (image 3). Then by vibrating the hopper (image 4) some of the soil should fall into the cell, because of its spindly shape and relatively totter pattern (image 5 and 6). I think this method could possibly work. Otherwise, it would be a pity not analysing the very special and interesting Golden Goose soil sample. I`d like to know your opinion about this method.

This is not Doug here but I think this has type of fix has been discussed before with regards to TEGA. the problem is the RA is very powerful and a slight error could cause some serious damage to Phoenix which is not worth risking.
Just to clarify the vibrating you are talking about, is that by using the rasp while the scoop is in contact with MECA?

Reckless aka Roy

You don't need to use bold to try and shout your point across - and as someone has already described - the WCL does not have vibrators like TEGA.

Caps is shouting, bold is just raising your voice a little. Of course, using caps and bold would be throwing a tantrum.

I saw in some animations here that the soil on the WCLs was vibrating? that`s what the hopper does, doesn`t it? otherwise how is it inserted into the WCL cells? is there any hope that the WCL-3 soil sample will be inserted into that cell? how?

Where? Because they don't. They do stir the material once inside - but it doesn't vibrate like TEGA does.

And according to the Phoenix website - this cell is now full and delivery complete.

Confusingly, the Phoenix site doesn't seem to talk about the last cell. They say "A small pile of soil is visible on the lower edge of the second cell from the top". What is going on here? Did they add material to cell #2?

Just finished a new poem about Phoenix, which you can find here (if you want a fancy version with a pic) or here (if you just want to read the text).

Is this a small feature on the side of the robot arm, or has Phoenix been capturing her own reflection..?

http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/images/gallery/lg_32487.jpg

Looks like the stereo camera to me, but might be wrong... I'm sure someone will tell me if I am...

Looks like a little bolt on the arm to me.

Looks like baby Jesus to me.

* ducks and runs away *

Why take a picture of a little bolt?

Maybe it was intended as a sky ob, but the arm was in the way?

My understanding: Originally they skipped cell 2 (reason to me unknown) and dropped a Stone Soup sample on cell 3, the one farthest away. That stuck and didn't succeed, so they tried again and dropped another really big sample from Stone Soup to cell 3. That also was sticky and just piled up.

Recently, they delivered a sample from Snow White to cell 2. Some of that soil stuck to the screen too. but enough got in for success.

They sit now with 3 used WCL cells, 0, 1 and 2. Cell 3 hasn't been used but its mouth is covered with a big clump of soil from Stone Soup.

Hey look! A little bolt! You'd all have missed that if I hadn't pointed it out now, wouldn't you?

It's in situ in this pan
http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/images/gallery/lg_32522.jpg

Uh oh. That's no bolt!

(joking - just joking)