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The Spirit rover captured a unique perspective on the Earth as seen from the surface of another planet. Because Mars is beyond Earth's orbit, our home world appears to follow the Sun's path, which makes glare-free photography of Earth difficult. But the history of viewing our planet as a pale blue dot as seen from afar has fueled the imagination ever since Voyager first saw Earth as a single pixel from the edge of our solar system.

Red Planet in Sensaround
An experience that few can imagine sampling is in some ways the simplest: to breathe deeply on another planet or moon. So what does Mars offer today to the sensory connoisseur?

Terra Meridiani, Not Terra Firma
The three standout features in the initial color postcard from the Opportunity landing site at Meridiani Planum include: the first observed martian bedrock, a talcum-powder-like soil texture, and the iron-rich color reminiscent of red clays from Texas and Oklahoma. But analogs on Earth may be hard to find.

No Hostage to Earth's Geology
Spirit rover geologists might look to drill into their first rock sample, with their cameras trained on whether it shows round or glassy grains inside. The differences may extend their sampling strategy to look for other examples from the four major classes: volcanic, impact debris, aqueous or aeolian (wind-weathered). The challenge is to forego some of their terrestrial training classes about what geology on another planet may actually be like, now that they are driving around Mars.

Shadow Boxing with 'Fear'
One of the most intriguing views that the rover Spirit may bear witness to is a solar eclipse by its potato-shaped moon, Phobos. Taken from the Greek word, 'fear', Phobos makes two trips across the martian sky everyday and passes in front of the Sun one hundred times per year.

Where on Earth is That?
Short of buying a ticket to Mars, where on Earth is the best place to get a taste of what scenery the red planet offers? A tourist to a Mars analog location would have to pack well, because the destination may be cold, dry, and windy. Where on Earth is Gusev crater?

Alien Textures 'Weird Stuff'
Judging from just the glimpses of high-resolution imagery coming from Mars, some bizarre features of the Spirit rover's immediate neighborhood has geologists scratching their heads. The instrument package, called Athena, will be very capable of getting good answers once it rolls off its landing petal in a week or so. Until then, geologists are hard-pressed to find a good terrestrial analog to some kinds of folded patches.

Rover Science Team Eyes Sleepy Hollow
After passing a complete check-up on Sol 2, the Spirit rover is getting ready to communicate directly with Earth using its high-gain antenna. Over the course of the next few days, Spirit will acquire and transmit a full set of Pancam images. One feature of the landscape has already fired the imagination of the science team --a shallow depression dubbed "Sleepy Hollow".

Night Lights
University of Washington Professor, Dr. Woody Sullivan, talks about designing the first interplanetary sundials that will serve as camera calibration targets on the forthcoming Mars' rovers. Not only will they shadow time, but also keep all the colors correct. Sullivan also shares how he became involved with the wildly successful SETI@home screensaver, and his original foray into viewing the big picture: the 'Earth At Night" image.

Predicting Primordial Weather
For life to begin from simple organic molecules, some preconditions for biochemistry are needed. Looking at some of the oldest rocks on our planet have posed a challenge that one has to dig deep to understand what the early Earth might have been like. Astrobiology Magazine interviewed New Zealander, Dr. Ian Miller, about revisiting what Charles Darwin first proposed: the primordial soup of ammonia, methane, and hydrogen.