The Mars Curiosity Rover’s self portrait is quite possible the coolest self-photo in the galaxy.
The amazing image was created by stitching together 55 different images taken with the Rover’s Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI).
NASA writes:
“Like a tourist who snaps a photo of himself in front of the Eiffel Tower, NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity has stretched out its arm and captured a high-resolution self-portrait in spectacular surroundings.”
Mars Today reports that the Curiosity Rover’s self portrait was taken at “Rocknest” in the Gale Crater. Mount Sharp appears on the right side of the photo and the northern wall of the Gale Crater in the background.
The photo shows tracks in the dirt as well as a few small holes where the Rover collected samples of Martian soil.
NASA writes that the Rover didn’t take the self-portrait because of vanity. Instead, these photos give researchers a detailed look at the condition of the rover.
NASA writes:
“Self-portraits like this one document the state of the rover and allow mission engineers to track changes over time, such as dust accumulation and wheel wear.”
Here’s the Curiosity Rover’s self portrait.