Cancel

gear Push settings

bars

homehome Home chatchat Notifications


First high-res image from Curiosity. Mars in our computer

Ok, enough of the low-res, black and white photos from Curiosity. NASA just released the first high-resolution, nearly dust free, photograph taken by the Curiosity rover on Mars. The image was taken by the rovers’ Navigation Cameras (NavCams), which are capable of photographing at 1megapixel, depicting a flat Martian landscape with the looming rim of […]

Tibi Puiu
August 8, 2012 @ 3:34 pm

share Share

Ok, enough of the low-res, black and white photos from Curiosity. NASA just released the first high-resolution, nearly dust free, photograph taken by the Curiosity rover on Mars.

Click for magnified view. (c) NASA/JPL-Caltech

Click for magnified view. (c) NASA/JPL-Caltech

The image was taken by the rovers’ Navigation Cameras (NavCams), which are capable of photographing at 1megapixel, depicting a flat Martian landscape with the looming rim of Gale crater in the distance, while in the foreground two depressions can be seen, likely carved out by blasts from the rover’s descent stage thrusters.

“We’ve already got an exploration hole drilled for us,” said geologist John Grotzinger, project scientist for the mission.

Also, NASA engineers used the same NavCams to shoot a 360-degree self-portrait of the rover. It’s not really as glamorous as the high-res photo from above, since it was basically stitched together from images at low-resolution thumbnails but two are full-resolution. A full high-res image is expected to surface soon. Remember, we’re just a few days in since the landing and this six-wheeler gem million of miles away from Earth is just beginning to deliver the goods.

Curiosity rover

Click for magnified view. (c) NASA/JPL-Caltech

via Wired

share Share

Scientists Discover 9,000 Miles of Ancient Riverbeds on Mars. The Red Planet May Have Been Wet for Millions of Years

A new look at Mars makes you wonder just how wet it really was.

Scientists Are Racing to Reach a Mysterious World Before It Disappears for 11,000 Years

In 2076, Sedna will make a once-in-11,400-year close pass near the Sun.

Earth Is Spinning Faster Than Usual. Scientists Aren’t Sure Why

Shorter days ahead as Earth's rotation speeds up unexpectedly.

The Sound of the Big Bang Might Be Telling Us Our Galaxy Lives in a Billion-Light-Year-Wide Cosmic Hole

Controversial model posits Earth and our galaxy may reside in a supervoid.

Japan’s Wooden Satellite Survived Orbit for 116 Days. Now Scientists Want a Better Version

With lessons learned from their first attempt, Kyoto University scientists hope a second CubeSat made of magnolia will spark an age of wooden spacecraft.

Astronomers Found a Star That Exploded Twice Before Dying

A rare double explosion in space may rewrite supernova science.

Menstrual Cups Passed a Brutal Space Test. They Could Finally Fix a Major Problem for Many Astronauts

Reusable menstrual cups pass first test in space-like flight conditions.

A Rocket Carried Cannabis Seeds and 166 Human Remains into Space But Their Capsule Never Made It Back

The spacecraft crashed into the Pacific Ocean after a parachute failure, ending a bold experiment in space biology and memorial spaceflight.

An Asteroid Might Hit the Moon in 2032 and Turn It Into a Massive Fireworks Show from Earth

The next big space threat isn't to Earth. It's to the Moon.

This Colorful Galaxy Map Is So Detailed You Can See Stars Being Born

Astronomers unveil the most detailed portrait yet of a nearby spiral galaxy’s complex inner life