Скачать или смотреть NASA's Curiosity Rover Captures View of Gale Crater's Floor on Mars

On February 1, 2024, NASA's Curiosity Mars rover utilized its left black-and-white navigation camera to capture a panoramic view of the area it scaled to reach the Gediz Vallis channel on the 4,084th Martian day, or sol, of its mission. This panorama comprises 10 images that were later assembled after transmission to Earth.

Prominently featured in the center is the slope Curiosity climbed, characterized by alternating dark and light bands of sedimentary rock. Descending the slope, two distinct buttes come into view: "Chenapau" on the left and "Orinoco" on the right. Further along, the floor of Gale Crater stretches out, with the crater's rim visible in the distant background. On the right side of the image, a banded butte referred to as "Kukenán" rises into view.

Since 2014, Curiosity has been steadily ascending the foothills of Mount Sharp, towering 3 miles (5 kilometers) above the floor of Gale Crater. The stratified layers found in this lower portion of the mountain have accumulated over millions of years under the influence of a changing Martian climate. This geological record provides scientists with valuable insights into the evolution of water presence and the chemical components necessary for life over time on Mars.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

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