0 Likes
NASA's Mars Exploration Program (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)
Sol 2946: Should We Stay or Should We Go?
The images for panorama obtained by the rover's 34-millimeter Mast Camera. The mosaic, which stretches about 30,000 pixels width, includes 122 images taken on Sol 2946 (November 18, 2020).
Curiosity will be staying busy for the next two days as the team continues to investigate the topographic “benches” as we move from the Glen Torridon region uphill towards the sulfate-bearing unit. Last week, Curiosity was positioned at the bottom of one of these benches looking at the geologic layers exposed along the side. Over the weekend, we drove around and on top of the same bench to capture a view from the top and to investigate the uppermost geologic layers. In the coming days, Curiosity will use its remote sensing instruments and the tools on her arm to investigate two spots on the top of the bench - one is a smooth portion of exposed bedrock while the other is a clearly layered rocky unit. The team had the opportunity to quickly study the top of this bench and then drive away up towards the next bench, but the team decided to stay at this location given the well-exposed rocks and the plethora of science that we can accomplish at this location. In addition, being on this topographically perched bench gives us a really stunning view and allows us to remotely characterize the geologic units that are ahead of us! Over the coming days, Curiosity will continue her drive up and over these benches, conducting additional analyses and imaging while we continue to make our way up Mt. Sharp.
By Mark Salvatore
Planetary Geologist at University of Michigan
Other panoramas of Mars by Curiosity rover:
...
The planet Earth has proven to be too limiting for our awesome community of panorama photographers. We're getting an increasing number of submissions that depict locations either not on Earth (like Mars, the Moon, and Outer Space in general) or do not realistically represent a geographic location on Earth (either because they have too many special effects or are computer generated) and hence don't strictly qualify for our Panoramic World project.But many of these panoramas are extremely beautiful or popular of both.So, in order to accommodate our esteemed photographers and the huge audience that they attract to 360Cities with their panoramas, we've created a new section (we call it an "area") called "Out of this World" for panoramas like these.Don't let the fact that these panoramas are being placed at the Earth's South Pole fool you - we had to put them somewhere in order not to interfere with our Panoramic World.Welcome aboard on a journey "Out of this World".
