Among the best issues about NASA’s Curiosity and Perseverance rovers are the wonderful scenic pictures they ship us from Mars. These images give scientists a greater view of our purple neighbor and are additionally simply cool to see. The most recent picture from Curiosity is a beautiful panorama taken from Mars’ Mount Sharp area, and it is an prompt traditional.
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The picture, which NASA posted on Dec. 30, is positioned alongside a ridge on the foothills of Mount Sharp, a 3-mile-high mountain that Curiosity has been slowly climbing since 2014. The mountain is smack dab in the course of Gale Crater, and the picture is trying down the slope towards the crater’s flooring. It’s also possible to see the rim of the crater within the background of the picture.
Curiosity was within the neighborhood to gather extra samples from a close-by spot generally known as Nevado Sajama. Eagle-eyed viewers might also see Curiosity’s tracks, which lead again to the Valle de la Luna dig web site. Valle de la Luna shares its identify with two Earth landmarks which are additionally recognized for his or her distinctive rocky constructions that have been carved out by wind and water erosion.
An entire day on Mars
Arguably the best a part of the picture is when it was taken. The picture was stitched collectively from uncooked images taken on the 4,722nd and 4,723rd Martian days, or sols, and at totally different instances of day. Curiosity took the primary picture at 4:15 p.m. on Sol 4,722 and the opposite at 8:20 a.m. on Sol 4,723. To avoid wasting you a Google Search, the instances translate to Nov. 18 right here on Earth for each images.
As soon as the photographs have been stitched collectively, NASA colorized the picture to point out what early morning and afternoon may seem like on the purple planet. The picture reveals late afternoon on the orange aspect and morning on the blue aspect. NASA additionally notes that including coloration helps differentiate the panorama and make minor particulars simpler to see. It is usually rather more pleasing to take a look at when in comparison with the uncooked pictures that Curiosity despatched house on these days.
That is the third such “postcard” taken by the Curiosity rover. The first one was in November 2021, and it was taken nearer to the bottom of Mount Sharp. The second got here from Marker Band Valley, which can be positioned within the foothills of Mount Sharp.
