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Water on Mars  (Source: Finding Dulcinea) Studying the ratios of
isotopes in Mars' carbon dioxide shows history of water on Mars
Measurements by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander have determined
that liquid water has had a presence throughout Mars' history. 
In 2008, the Phoenix performed measurements of stable isotopes
of oxygen and carbon in the carbon dioxide of the atmosphere on
Mars. These measurements were taken by the Evolved Gas Analyzer,
which is part of the Phoenix's Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer
(TEGA). TEGA was built at the University of Arizona and has a
mass spectrometer capable of better analyses of carbon dioxide
than those on NASA's Viking landers (these were the only others
with instruments that could compile results on Mars' isotopic
composition). To perform its task, the TEGA instrument opened a
"pin-point-sized" hole while a puff of Mars' atmosphere was
sucked into its chamber with a vacuum.  "We use the TEGA
instrument as a c