A constellation of the southern sky, representing the phoenix. Its brightest star is Alpha Phoenicis, magnitude 2.4. Beta Phoenicis is a close double, magnitudes 4.1 and 4.2. Zeta Phoenicis is an eclipsing binary that varies between magnitudes 3.9 and 4.4 every 1.67 days.

A NASA Mars lander, launched 2007 August, to study the icy north polar region of Mars. It landed 2008 May in a lowland plain called Vastitas Borealis at 68°.2 N, 234°.3 E. It carried a robotic arm to scoop up samples of soil and ice for analysis by instruments on board the lander. The Surface Stereo Imager (SSI) camera photographed the surrounding landscape, while a set of meteorological instruments recorded temperature, pressure and other atmospheric conditions. Phoenix operated until 2008 November.

http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/ Official mission website.