Posted: Sat, Oct 12, 2002, 8:20 AM ET (1220 GMT)
Planetary scientists have confirmed that the north polar regions of Mars have similar deposits of water ice as previously seen in the south. Scientists announced at a planetary science conference this week that the neutron spectrometer on the Mars Odyssey spacecraft has picked up similar concentrations of hydrogen in the north as was seen in the south early this year. The hydrogen concentrations are high enough that scientists believe that it could only exist in the form of water ice within a couple meters of the surface. While Mars Odyssey has been in orbit around Mars for nearly a year now, observations of the north polar regions was prevented by the presence of a large seasonal dry ice cap during the northern winter.

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