In the midst of your 'regular' daily satellite news, here's an update pertaining to the Phoenix, which is now planted steadfastly on Mars. What interestingly enough appears, at first glance, to be just one photo that the Phoenix spacecraft took of Mars' arctic plain is not as it appears. The photo is actually a combination of more than 400 images taken during the first weeks after the Phoenix arrived on the red planet's arctic plain to provide scientists this view of Mars. This view comprises more than 100 different camera angles, with images taken through three different filters at each pointing. The credits for this photoshoot go to NASA; JPL-Caltech; University of Arizona; and Texas A&M University.

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. The center of the image is the westward part of the scene. Trenches where Phoenix's robotic arm has been exposing subsurface material (including water and ice) are visible in the right half of the image. The spacecraft's meteorology mast, topped by the telltale wind gauge, extends into the sky portion of the panorama.