EARTH INVADES MARS
with Simon Mansfield
........


Martian Scientists Present Latest Results
JPL - August 27, 1997 - At a press conference today JPL scientists presented a series of spectacular images sent back by pathfinder over a two week period.

The Press conference focused on data gathered by the Sojourner rover over the past two weeks in the area dubbed the Rock Garden. Additional data on the Martian climate was presented along with detailed analyses of soil conditions.

During the two week excursion through the broken rocks strewn throughout the rock garden Sojourner demonstrated its ability to navigate in difficult terrain.

The new images have improved scientists understanding of the color scheme of Martian rocks and the sky have unveiled structures that

had not been observed previously.

Climate researchers continue to find anomalies in the atmospheric pressure, including the highest ever pressure reading on Mars of 6.86 millibars. Pathfinder�s weather station has also shown than the temperature falls off rapidly in a matter of a few feet, with additional fluctuations being found in eddies of warm and cool air.

Scientists have also confirmed that the atmosphere remains virtually free of water vapor and that if the entire water vapor content of the atmosphere was condensed the Martian ocean would be no thicker than a tenth the thickness of a human hair.

Pathfinder image scientists continue to produce beautiful sunset pictures using color filters to bring out faint dust and water vapor clouds. The high resolution super panorama is now in final processing and will be available for movie makers the world over later today.

Both the lander and rover remain healthy and the mission will continue until winter freezes little rover into permanent hibernation somewhere in the Ares Vallis valley.


EARTH INVADES MARS

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