Martian Anniversary Selfie
Explanation:
June 24th marked
the first full Martian year of the
Curiosity
Rover's exploration of the surface of the Red Planet.
That's
687 Earth days or 669 sols since its
landing on August 5, 2012.
To celebrate, consider this self-portrait of the car-sized robot
posing next to a rocky outcrop dubbed Windjana, its recent
drilling and sampling site.
The mosaicked selfie was constructed with frames taken this April and
May using the rover's Mars Hand Lens Imager
(MAHLI), intended for close-up work and
mounted at the end of the rover's robotic arm.
The MAHLI frames used exclude sections that show the arm
itself and so MAHLI and the robotic arm are not seen.
Famous for
panoramic views, the rover's
Mastcam is visible though,
on top of the tall mast staring toward the left and down at
the
drill hole.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
