The Robotic Arm Camera on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander took this image on
Oct. 18, 2008, during the 142nd Martian day, or sol, since landing. The
flat patch in the center of the image has the informal name "Holy Cow,"
based on researchers' reaction when they saw the initial image of it only
a few days after the May 25, 2008 landing. Researchers first saw this flat
patch in an image taken by the Robotic Arm Camera on May 30, the fifth
Martian day of the mission.
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.