Self-portrait of Rover Curiosity. Source: NASA
Using a collection of different images, NASA has been able to piece together a self-portrait of the Rover Curiosity. The car-like laboratory with a 2.5 billion dollar price tag travelled for 8.5 months and 352 million miles in order to reach Mars.
The self-portrait shows Mount Sharp in the distance, which is the final destination of the Rover. These high-definition images are released to the public in websites such as Unmanned Space Flight and enhanced in order to display an earth like colouring. Portraits like the one shown on the left, are used by NASA engineers to track dust accumulation on the vehicle and tire wear.
It should be noted the picture does not show the arm that connect the camera to the rover; this is because the image is produced using a collection of images stitched together with technology much like the ones that we use on our smartphones to make panoramic photos.
The self-portrait shows Mount Sharp in the distance, which is the final destination of the Rover. These high-definition images are released to the public in websites such as Unmanned Space Flight and enhanced in order to display an earth like colouring. Portraits like the one shown on the left, are used by NASA engineers to track dust accumulation on the vehicle and tire wear.
It should be noted the picture does not show the arm that connect the camera to the rover; this is because the image is produced using a collection of images stitched together with technology much like the ones that we use on our smartphones to make panoramic photos.