By now, you've seen the amazing photographs and heard the complex story of the Phoenix lander's amazing safe descent to the surface of Mars. It's an engineering feat so over the top, it boggles the mind.

Consider the above photograph a bonus that makes this mission a little more astounding. Because as Phoenix was lining up with Mars, another satellite was orbiting Mars, getting ready to snap a photo. Its instruments, normally directly down toward the Martian surface, were starting to move.

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) was getting ready to look for Phoenix as it dropped. First came same-day orbital data, allowing projections to be more precise. The MRO would try to catch a glimpse of the lander as a parachute began to slow it down in the thin Martian atmosphere.

To make it work, the Reconnaissance Orbiter used one of its myriad instruments, the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera. Maybe camera isn't the right name, because it's more like a telescope. But as a camera, it's certainly the best that's ever been sent on a planetary trip. It shoots Mars with .3-meter resolution. (Google maps show Earth with about 1-meter resolution.)

It's important to understand, by the way, that landing on Mars has never been one of NASA's strong points. The surface is littered with junk that came in just a little too quickly, including 1998's Mars Climate Orbiter. NASA wanted documentation, should the mission fail.

As the time approached, the Reconnaissance Orbiter moved the camera 60° off vertical by actually turning the spacecraft from its usual in-flight configuration. That also allowed it to record radio transmissions from Phoenix.

What you see in this photo is the inflated parachute and its line supporting the Phoenix lander. And it was taken while the lander screeched through the atmosphere and the orbiter sped above. There would be no second take.

Yes, the much clearer photos from the Martian surface are cool. But this is amazing, in its own quiet way.