A new high resolution panorama of the Martian surface has just been released. Put together from various photos taken by Curiosity’s on board cameras, the view is pretty spectacular.
You can see it here.
“This color panorama shows a 360-degree view of the landing site of NASA’s Curiosity rover, including the highest part of Mount Sharp visible to the rover. That part of Mount Sharp is approximately 12 miles (20 kilometers) away from the rover.”
“The images were obtained by the rover’s 34-millimeter Mast Camera. The mosaic, which stretches about 29,000 pixels across by 7,000 pixels high, includes 130 images taken on Aug. 8 and an additional 10 images taken on Aug. 18. These images were shot before the camera was fully characterized.”
“Scientists enhanced the color in one version to show the Martian scene as it would appear under the lighting conditions we have on Earth, which helps in analyzing the terrain. A raw version is also available.”
Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech; Mars Surface via Wikimedia Commons
It’s convenient that it landed right next to that highway.
Curiosity is the perfect name for this rover. If humans were to stop being curious then we would miss out on all that the universe has to offer. There is too much wonder out there but for now the MSL is quelling a bit of the need for new information.
Most of the rocks in these spectacular photos are angular; very little rounding. This is a characteristic of a debris flow… and when such clasts are cemented they become a breccia. But, there are no alluvial fans in the distance. No evidence of recent flowing water. No talus slopes. Probably represent volcaniclastic or impact material.
Great pictures. Now it will be a disappointment if Mars looks NO BETTER than earth.in Death Valley.
This quoted passage came from King David’s son, Solomon, seeking satisfaction in fatalism. This is his viewpoint as he expresses it. In our day we hear the expression, “Take life as it comes.” There is “a time to get, and a time to lose.” You played the stock market, and you lost your money. Well, that’s the way it was to be. You were a traveling man away from home, and a certain woman was easy to get, and you invited her up to your room. Your philosophy was that there is “a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.” Taking life as it comes is a philosophy of fatalism. It’s in the Bible because it’s how the wealthiest and smartest guy in the world blew it – he rejected God. You see a lot of guys (and gals) like that in the Bible. That’s why the gate is narrow.