NASA "Tweets" on Mars

NASA was honored Wednesday for its efforts to inform the public through the popular social-networking Web site Twitter.

More than 38,000 people followed NASA's "tweets" of the Mars Phoenix Lander mission.

NASA received the "Shorty Award" for documenting the mission of the Mars Phoenix Lander. The Mars Phoenix Lander spent nearly five months in 2008 on the red planet conducting research.

Twitter allows users to post updates or "tweets" in 140 characters or less. NASA said it delivered more than 600 updates during the 152 days the Phoenix was operating in the north polar region of Mars.

By the end of the mission in early November, more than 38,000 people were following its tweets, NASA said.

NASA beat out several science bloggers and was honored at the award show in New York

We have just recently learned about Twitter in class, and this is an example of
how popular it has gotten over the past few months. Technology in this
day and time is far beyond my comprehension level. It amazes me that I can log
onto my computer and know what is going on in Mars, by refreshing my Twitter account. The entire universe can be up to speed with what is happening on other planets at the click of a button. Think back some years to when people could only communicate by sending brief telegrams. Look how far we have come today. We are now able to know almost anything
with a click.