NASA Celebrates Curiosity Rover’s 9th Year On Mars With Stunning 360° Panorama
Image via NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS
NASA’s Curiosity Rover has officially survived for nine years on the Red Planet! To commemorate the milestone, the rover captured a spectacular 360-degree panorama to show off its home.
Curiosity first docked in the Gale Crater on Mars in August 2012, and has since been trekking up the side of Mount Sharp, which stands at five miles tall. In the release of the image, NASA said the rover capturing “knobbly rocks and rounded hills are delighting scientists.”
If you want a closer, more detailed look at the area, the entire panorama is available for download in maximum resolution on NASA’s site. The incredible panorama was made by stitching 129 individual images together, white-balanced to showcase the rocks under Earth’s daytime lighting conditions.
Plus, the view is unusually clear, as it is winter in the Gale Crater, so the Martian skies aren’t as filled with dust.
Alongside the image, NASA also shared a guided tour of the panorama, pointing out the different areas of the landscape. “The mountain’s layers in this area may reveal how the ancient environment within Gale Carter dried up over time,” the agency said.
Take a look at the full image and video below.
Image via NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS
[via CNET, cover image via NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS]
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