“A postcard from me, for you.” On Wednesday, NASA posted on the Curiosity Twitter account a snapshot captured on Mars by its Curiosity rover. The machine that has studied the red planet since 2012 captured this “striking” image on April 8, 2023.
On a dedicated page, the American space agency gave more information about this photo. They are actually two panoramic views merged by them. Yellow and blue have also been added to intensify the scene.
“NASA’s Curiosity rover used its black-and-white navigation cameras to capture panoramas at two times of day on April 8, 2023,” the agency said.
Doug Ellison is an engineer working on the Curiosity rover. He justified this artistic choice. “Anyone who has been to a national park knows that the scene is different in the morning and in the afternoon. Capturing two times of the day produces dark shadows because the lighting is coming from the left and the right, like on a stage, but in instead of fictitious lights, we trust in the Sun”.
“Valley of the Marker Band”
Since landing on Mars in 2012, the tiny 10-by-7-foot robot hasn’t ventured far into the unknown. It is located in the “Marker Band Valley”, more precisely in the foothills of Mount Sharp, inside a crater called Gale. The same place where he made his landing.
The photo is available for free download from the NASA website. Another snapshot with GIs is also available. “Show me that picture on your fridge,” Curiosity simply asks in return.
Source: BFM TV
