Technology
Nasa reveals gorgeous SPACE-SELFIE from Mars sent by Curiosity rover
NASA’S Curiosity rover has snapped a gorgeous selfie from the surface of Mars.
The intrepid robot explorer has been rolling around Mars for a decade – but its latest snap is one of the best so far.
Curiosity snapped a total of 60 images that were stitched together to create a Martian panoramic.
The selfie was captured using Curiosity’s robotic arm on March 26 – or the 3,070th Martian day (sol) of the mission.
These images were also combined with a further 11 photographs taken using the Mastcam on the rover’s “head”.
Curiosity is pictured in front of Mont Mercou.
This is a closer Curiosity image of Mount Mercou, which is seen in the selfie[/caption]
The grandiose sounding name refers to a rock formation that stands just 20 feet tall.
You can also see a new drill hole at a rock sample called Nontron, which is the mission’s 30th sample so far.
Curiosity’s drill powderises samples before trickling them inside the rover.
Scientists can use these samples to learn about the rock composition – and discover more about Martian history.
Curiosity is one of Nasa’s most iconic rovers.
It was launched in November 2011, initially on a two-year mission.
But this was extended indefinitely in December 2012, and the rover remains operational today.
Since 2014, Curiosity has been gradually rolling up Mount Sharp.
It’s a 3-mile tall mountain that may offer clues about what happened to Mars as it became a desert planet.
Most read in Science
In other news, check out these other images snapped by Curiosity.
Here’s some impressive 4K footage of Mars captured by Curiosity.
And Nasa is about to deploy its first-ever helicopter on Mars using the new Perseverance rover.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at tech@the-sun.co.uk
