This view combines more than 400 images taken during the first several
weeks after NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander arrived on an arctic plain at 68.22
degrees north latitude, 234.25 degrees east longitude on Mars.
The full-circle panorama in approximately true color shows the polygonal
patterning of ground at the landing area, similar to patterns in
permafrost areas on Earth. South is toward the top. Trenches where
Phoenix's robotic arm has been exposing subsurface material are visible in
the lower half of the image. The spacecraft's meteorology mast, topped by
the telltale wind gauge, extends into the sky portion of the panorama.
This view comprises more than 100 different camera pointings, with images
taken through three different filters at each pointing. It is presented
here as a polar projection.
The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf
of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA’s Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin
Space Systems, Denver.