Lest we focus all our Martian attention on the Phoenix Mars Lander, it's good to recall other robotic explorations of the planet are continuing. The rover Opportunity, for example, is not only still functioning after four years and more, but it is currently undertaking one of the most exciting projects of its journey.
Opportunity is in Victoria Crater, which would be small by lunar standards, but is a substantial formation. Inside Victoria there are cliff faces. Those cliffs can be over 200 feet high, and the faces show sedimentary layering, which promises to detail the geologic history of that area well into the past. Opportunity is now roughly 20 feet from one such cliff face, imaging it in high resolution. At some point, Opportunity may be driven close enough to the cliff to directly analyze the rock.
Of course, fossils of ancient life can often be seen in similar layered formations on Earth. If Phoenix strikes out in its search for life this summer, there may still be Opportunity.
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