Pheonix looking for life in Northern Hemisphere of Mars

This article talks about NASA's Pheonix landing in 2008 on Mars to take a look at the enviornment. More specfically at if Mars was able or has been able more recently to support life. The specific place they are looking at is in the icy Northern hemisphere. In the past it was a little more warmer with a greater chance of supporting human life. They are looking into if life could grow or has ever grown in this part of Mars and they are recieving information via the trenches being dugged out by the Pheonix about 1.6 meters deep into the icy surface. The robotic arm will collect the samples where there then the 8 different ovens and labatories upon the Pheonix will analyize the samples. The specfic elements looked into are carbon, hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen and nitrogen.

The Pheonix is not a rover it will remain where it lands.

The first thing in order to finding possible life is finding a place that could be habitiable. The carbon dioxide snows are recorded to reach minus 195 degrees farenheit during the winters. Because the planet's axis of roation changes the sunlight is different in every area. And due to that the place where the Pheonix lands may have been warm about 25,000 years ago.