NASA's Curiosity rover, giving earthlings a glimpse of its ultimate target, has beamed back spectacular high-resolution photos of the rugged foothills of Mount Sharp, showing a khaki-colored landscape marked by towering hills, gaping canyons, and sand dunes reminiscent of the American Southwest, scientists said Monday.
In one view, the rover photographed a scientifically intriguing transition from relatively flat rock beds made up of water-influenced minerals to steeply inclined unhydrated layers marking a dramatic, geologically sudden discontinuity that signals a major change in martian history.
Curiosity's view of the lower slopes of Mount Sharp, showing the rugged terrain that represents the rover's ultimate goal.
(Credit: NASA)
But for sheer visual impact, it was a zoomed-in view of the Mount Sharp foothills that provided the most stunning vista, showing the nearby gravel-strewn field, a sudden drop off into a partially hidden impact crater, dark dunes and then gaping canyons between hills and mesa-like features making up the lower slopes of the towering 3-mile-tall mound of layered terrain.
"When those of us on the science team looked at that image for the first time you get this feeling, 'that's what I'm talking about,'" Project Scientist John Grotzinger said. "That is why we picked this landing site. Although the anticipated scenic beauty was not something that was ... [Read more]
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