This is the first 360-degree panorama in color of the Gale Crater landing site taken by NASA's Curiosity rover. The panorama was made from thumbnail versions of images taken by the Mast Camera. The images were taken late Aug. 8 PDT (Aug. 9 EDT) by the 34-millimeter Mast Camera.
This view of Mars, taken by NASA's Curiosity rover on Sol 3 (Aug. 8-9, 2012), shows an early view of the rover's deck as viewed from mast cameras.
This is the first 360-degree panoramic view from NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars as seen by its mast navigation cameras. The fuzzy photos on the ends are lower-resolution. Scientists expect a high-res version of the image in upcoming days. Released Aug. 8, 2012.
This color full-resolution image showing the heat shield of NASA's Curiosity rover was obtained during descent to the surface of Mars on Aug. 5 PDT (Aug. 6 EDT). The 15-foot heat shield was photographed by Curiosity's MARDI descent camera.
This Picasso-like self portrait of NASA's Curiosity rover was taken by its Navigation cameras, located on the now-upright mast. The camera snapped pictures 360-degrees around the rover, while pointing down at the rover deck, up and straight ahead. Only 2 tiles are high-resolution at this point. (Released Aug. 8, 2012)
This is the first 360-degree panorama in color of the Gale Crater landing site taken by NASA's Curiosity rover. The panorama was made from thumbnail versions of images taken by the Mast Camera. The images were taken late Aug. 8 PDT (Aug. 9 EDT) by the 34-millimeter Mast Camera.
This is the first image taken by the Navigation cameras on NASA's Curiosity rover. It shows the shadow of the rover's now-upright mast in the center, and the arm's shadow at left. The arm itself can be seen in the foreground. Image released Aug. 8, 2012.
These are the first two full-resolution images of the Martian surface from the Navigation cameras on NASA's Curiosity rover, which are located on the rover's "head" or mast. The rim of Gale Crater can be seen in the distance beyond the pebbly ground. Images released Aug. 8, 2012.
This color view from NASA's Mars rover Curiosity shows the Martian surface covered in small rocks. NASA unveiled this image on Aug. 8, 2012.
NASA's Curiosity rover and its landing sky crane, parachute and other hardware are seen by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in this image released Aug. 7, 2012. Curiosity landed on Aug. 5 PDT.
This image is a 3-D view in front of NASA's Curiosity rover, which landed on Mars on Aug. 5 PDT (Aug. 6 EDT). The anaglyph was made from a stereo pair of Hazard-Avoidance Cameras on the front of the rover. The image is cropped but part of Mount Sharp, a peak that is about 3.4 miles (5.5 kilometers) high, is still visible rising above the terrain.
This image is a 3-D view behind NASA's Curiosity rover, which landed on Mars on Aug. 5 PDT (Aug. 6 EDT). The anaglyph was made from a stereo pair of Hazard-Avoidance Cameras on the rear of the rover and released Aug. 7.
This image shows the crash site of the Mars rover Curiosity's sky crane, the rocket-powered backpack that lowered Curiosity down to the Martian surface on Aug. 5 PDT, 2012. Image released Aug. 7.
The parachute and backshell of NASA's Mars rover Curiosity are seen in this photo from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter released on Aug. 7, 2012. Curiosity landed on Mars on Aug. 5 PDT.
This photo taken by NASA's Mars rover Curiosity shows the north wall and rim of Gale Crater. The image is the first color photo snapped by Curiosity's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on the afternoon of the first day after landing. NASA released the image on Aug. 7, 2012.
This color thumbnail image was obtained by NASA's Curiosity rover during its descent to the surface of Mars on Aug. 5 PDT (Aug. 6 EDT). The image was obtained by the Mars Descent Imager instrument known as MARDI and shows the 15-foot (4.5-meter) diameter heat shield when it was about 50 feet (16 meters) from the spacecraft.
NASA's Mars rover Curiosity snapped this picture of Mount Sharp with its front Hazard Avoidance camera, or Hazcam. The photo was released by NASA on Aug. 6, 2012.
This full-resolution version of one of the first images taken by a rear-left Hazard-Avoidance camera on NASA's Curiosity rover, was released on Aug. 6, 2012.The image was originally taken through the "fisheye" wide-angle lens, but has been "linearized" so that the horizon looks flat rather than curved. Part of the rim of Gale Crater can be seen from the top-middle to the top-right of the image, and one of the rover's wheels is pictured at the bottom right.
This image from Curiosity's Mars Descent Imager illustrates the roughly circular swirls of dust kicked up from the Martian surface by the rocket motor exhaust. At this point, Curiosity is about 70 feet (20 meters) above the surface. This dust cloud was generated when the Curiosity rover was being lowered to the surface while the sky crane hovered above. Curiosity landed on Mars on the night of Aug. 5, and this photo was released by NASA on Aug. 6, 2012.
NASA's Curiosity rover and its parachute were spotted by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter as Curiosity descended to the surface on Aug. 5 PDT (Aug. 6 EDT). The High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera captured this image of Curiosity while the orbiter was listening to transmissions from the rover.
NASA's Mars rover Curiosity is spotted descending to the Martian surface under its parachute in this amazing photo by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on Aug. 5 PDT, 2012.
This image was taken by Front Hazcam: Right A (FHAZ_RIGHT_A) onboard NASA's Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 0 (2012-08-06 06:23:34 UTC).
This image was taken by Front Hazcam: Left A (FHAZ_LEFT_A) onboard NASA's Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 0 (2012-08-06 06:23:34 UTC).
This image was taken by Rear Hazcam: Left A (RHAZ_LEFT_A) onboard NASA's Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 0 (2012-08-06 06:24:48 UTC).
This image was taken by Rear Hazcam: Right A (RHAZ_RIGHT_A) onboard NASA's Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 0 (2012-08-06 06:24:48 UTC).
This image was obtained by Curiosity's Mars Descent Imager and is representative of the images acquired once the Curiosity rover was resting on the surface of Mars after touchdown. It illustrates a narrow sunlit strip of the pebble-covered surface while the rest of the view is in the shadow of the rover. It was taken seconds after touchdown on the night of Aug. 5, 2012. The photo was released by NASA on Aug. 6, 2012.
This still from NASA TV shows a photo of the Mars rover Curiosity under its parachute as it landed on Mars on Aug. 5 PDT, 2012. The photo was taken by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The inset is has been enlarged and adjusted to reduce saturation.
This is one of the first images taken by NASA's Curiosity rover, which landed on Mars the evening of Aug. 5 PDT (morning of Aug. 6 EDT). It was taken through a "fisheye" wide-angle lens on the left Hazard-Avoidance camera on the left-rear side on the rover at one-half of full resolution.
Christopher J. Scolese, Director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, left, congratulates, MSL Entry, Descent and Landing Engineer Adam Steltzner as they look at the first images of Mars to come from the Curiosity rover shortly after it landed on Mars, Sunday, Aug. 5, 2012.
This photo shows the shadow of NASA's huge rover Curiosity on Mars just after its Aug. 5 PDT, 2012 landing in Gale Crater. This image is an enlarged version from the original 256-pixel image.
This photo shows one of the six wheels of NASA's huge rover Curiosity on Mars just after the rover's Aug. 5 PDT, 2012 landing in Gale Crater. This image is an enlarged version from the original 256-pixel image.
The first Mars photos from NASA's Curiosity rover prompt a huge celebration by the rover's mission support team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., just minutes after the rover's Aug. 5 PDT, 2012 landing.
As NASA's Curiosity rover descended to the surface of Mars the night of August 5, 2012, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) captured an image of the rover gliding on its parachute (top inset). Further examination shows what appears to be the heat shield (lower inset) which appears to be free falling as its landing would create a dust cloud. Image released August 6, 2012.
This first image from the Mars rover Curiosity on the surface of Mars shows the rover's shadow as seen by a navigation camera. NASA released the image just minutes after the rover's successful Aug. 5 PDT, 2012 landing.
Curiosity immediately began beaming back images from Mars after landing, as seen at JPL, Pasadena, CA, August 5, 2012.
NASA Entry, Descent and Landing engineer Adam Seltzner points as the first photos of Mars from the Curiosity rover are displayed just minutes after the rover's Aug. 5 PDT, 2012 landing.
MSL team members react with jubilation as the first thumbnail from Curiosity rover arrives at JPL in Pasadena, CA, August 5, 2012.
Very first image from Curiosity rover on Mars, as seen at JPL in Pasadena, CA, August 5, 2012.
This graphic shows the locations of the 17 cameras on NASA's Curiosity rover. The rover's mast features seven cameras. There is one camera on the end of a robotic and nine cameras hard-mounted to the rover, eight for navigation and one for descent imagery.
This close-up look at the Mars rover Curiosity's deck shows small Martian rocks on top of the rover. The rocks were kicked up by Curiosity's sky crane rockets, but pose no concern for the rover. Image taken on Sol 3 (Aug. 8-9, 2012).
