New Mars Photo: Curiosity Sends Back First Color Image Of Red Planet
NASA’s Mars Curiosity Rover has only been on the surface of the red planet for a few days but it has already sent back several photos and videos. Today, NASA released the first color image from the Curiosity’s mission.
During it’s first few hours on Mars the Curiosity sent back several low-res, black and white photos of the martian surface. (You can see those photos here.) But now that the Mars Rover is getting acclimated to the new terrain, it’s starting to use some of its more advanced cameras.
According to NASA, the new Mars photo was taken by the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on Sol 1, the first day after landing.
“In the distance, the image shows the north wall and rim of Gale Crater. The image is murky because the MAHLI’s removable dust cover is apparently coated with dust blown onto the camera during the rover’s terminal descent. Images taken without the dust cover in place are expected during checkout of the robotic arm in coming weeks.”
NASA explains that the MAHLI camera is meant for close-up, high-resolution photos of rocks and soil. The camera can focus on objects as close as .08 inches. Thankfully, it can also take pictures of landscapes and faraway objects.
Here’s the new color photo of Mars from the Curiosity Rover.
You can check out the first photos sent back from the Mars Curiosity Rover here or take a look at the first video taken by the red planet’s newest inhabitant here.
[Top Image Was Taken By Another Rover On Mars. You Can See The Full Photo Here.]
