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NASA Curiosity Sends Back a 360 View of Mars While Atop of Mont Mercou

While the Perseverance rover and its little helicopter fella Ingenuity are the talk of the town, it seems like Curiosity is overshadowed by these two stars. To balance things out, NASA’s rover just clocked in a 360-degree panorama of the Red Planet while atop of a rock formation that gives us a glimpse into Gale Crater below.
A 360 view of the Red Planet from atop of Mont Mercou 1 photo
Photo: NASA / Youtube
Mont Mercou, as scientists dubbed it, is a mosaic of a rock formation that is roughly 6 meters (20 feet) tall. The name is actually taken after a real place on Earth, situated in the southeast of France, near the village of Nontron. Since Mars’s rover detected nontronite in the area, a form of clay mineral found close to Nontron, NASA chose a related nickname for this region of the Red Planet.

The panorama took by Curiosity’s Mast Camera, or Mastcam, was stitched together from 132 individual images taken on April 15th (or on the 3,090th Martian day of the mission). The view has been white-balanced so that the colors of the rocks look as they would in daytime lighting conditions back on Earth.

Curiosity also provided a similar pair of pictures using its Mastcam on March 4. The rover created a stereoscopic effect similar to that seen in 3D viewfinders by shooting one panorama about 40 meters (130 feet) away from the rock formation, then rolling to the side and shooting another one from the same distance. By studying Mont Mercou from different perspectives, scientists can gain some insight into the 3D geometry of its sedimentary layers.

The original plan for Curiosity was to study the Martian climate and geology for only two years, but in December 2012, the rover’s mission was extended indefinitely. As of May 6th, 2021, Curiosity has been active on Mars for more than eight years. However, we do get some postcards from time to time, which reminds us that this cool rover is still out there kicking and always ready to conquer the Martian terrain.

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About the author: Florina Spînu
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Florina taught herself how to drive in a Daewoo Tico (a rebadged Suzuki Alto kei car) but her first "real car" was a VW Golf. When she’s not writing about cars, drones or aircraft, Florina likes to read anything related to space exploration and take pictures in the middle of nature.
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