The Night Sky Guy

Mars Pic: Target Looms Ahead for Curiosity

This photo is simply awesome and I think gets all Mars buffs really excited. That’s because we not only see the rover’s own shadow on the pebbly ground, but can also spy in the distance the main science target of the 1 – ton curiosity rover a day after it touched down inside the 150 km wide Gale crater. Even though this is only the first b/w, low-res image of Mount Sharp – a central peak in the crater rising more than 6.5 km in height – we can tell that its going to be an exciting and challenging destination.

NASA hopes to drive the rover to the mountain – which sits about 10 km away from the landing site -  eventually up its slopes, to study its lower layers. To astro-geologists they look like sedimentary rocks, which they are betting may shed some light on past environmental change - ie. water drenched the area. This image was captured by the rover’s front left Hazard-Avoidance camera at full resolution shortly after it landed.  Can’t wait to see full resolution colour panoramic shots in the next week….

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