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NASA’s Curiosity Has Been On Mars For More Than 7 Years And Here Are Its 30 Best Photos
For us, mere mortals, Mars is a no man's land where survival seems like a distant dream. After all, no man has ever walked on its surface (as far as we know) and plans to send one to the red planet are only in the early stages of its development. However, humans have touched Mars through the durable wheels of Mars rovers. We've had 4 successful robotically operated Mars rovers (all of which were managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA) so far: Sojourner, Opportunity, Spirit, and Curiosity.
As Opportunity's mission was declared complete on February 13, 2019 when NASA lost all contact with the vehicle, Curiosity became the lone survivor on the red planet, rolling over its surface to examine and explore the unknown land all by itself. The spacecraft first landed on Mars on August 6, 2012 and started carrying out its objectives throughout the years. In fact, Curiosity did its job so well and held on for so long that its original mission duration of 687 days was expanded indefinitely.
Here's how Curiosity looked 7 years ago and now
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Ripples On Surface Of Martian Sand Dune
Curiosity is approaching its 8 year anniversary on Mars and while it is currently the only functional rover on the planet (after we all, unfortunately, had to say goodbye to Oppy), NASA has plans to send it some company in the shape of Mars 2020 rover. The 2020 mission is scheduled to start on 17 July to 5 August 2020 when the rocket carrying the rover will be launched. NASA also announced a student naming contest for the rover that was held in the fall of 2019. The final name will be announced in early March 2020, so we definitely have something to look forward to!
Sunset Sequence In Mars' Gale Crater
Curiosity Rover Finds And Examines A Meteorite On Mars
Come on people, did you MISS the 5 white dots on the face of the statue? Nobody mentioned that. That does not happen randomly! They are too perfectly and evenly placed and spaced. They resemble the Big Dipper or Little Dipper.
Sadly, nobodies listening Jeff. Interesting though, isn't it. It actually reminds me of The Pleiades.
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The white in the cracks could be pegmatite, or an equivalent of it. When the magma cools off as the bedrock is forming, parts of it hardens while some remains liquid a little longer. That part fills in the small gaps between the bigger chunks. The difference in colour and texture is due to a different composition of the atoms in the rock. A meteorite often splits into smaller parts at impact, causing tiny bits to be thrown back up into space where they cool off and then fall down and land far away from the impact crater. That might be why we don´t see any signs of impact. Just some thoughts from an amateur geologist... who is delighted to see some real Mars rock! With possible pegmatite!
I wonder what it is that fills the cracks ? That is the only white I see ?
This is common here on Earth too. Most likely it is quartz or calcite.
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nah. teslas are all plastic. those lipos catch and there won't be nothing left.
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What would the size of the meteorite be? Pity there is no scale on the photos.
please explain the out of control caulk gun? It's primarily in the cracks as if sealing them, then like a real one explodes out in upper left.
Do you see its missing parts of it, could the impact marks be on the missing pieces,perhaps Jim?
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NASA I sure would love to show you that you sure missed a lot in this photo . I know how some images can get on Mars but this has me believing someone was there if it were not you. I can find a Crescent Wrench that is Backwards of what we would make and an open end wrench and something similar to vice grip clamps then there is a very Odd looking tool and i know tools well. There is a tool kit/holder next to the open end wrench . The thing you think is a Meteorite is Not a Meteorite . How come everything is a light brown then the Black everywhere and then why would the cracks be white ? The white would have to be some kind of growth . I NEED YOU NASA You need me more than you know seriously because of what I know.
I am so serious NASA really needs to know what I know fron 45 years of research ---On earth there is a natural thing that happensand same thing happens out in the universe. Images of animals, people, objects events etc are laid down on land, rock and mountains They shopuld know this but they do not. IF they choose to ignore me more they miss out on many things and get the wrong interpretation of what Thy are seeing---I can see what I am talking about here but we need to know if it from earth or another planet There are ways to tell. SO SAD I worked my tail off all these years and they ignore me.
NASA ! you need me to teach you how to look for clues.---YOU DO NOT HAVE A METEORITE at all . You have found signs of life on Mars at one time and do not know it I am the King at finding these and other things because I can see. You see the tab/fuse at the bottom of the screen ? then go up half way then to the rock on the left another part on the rock Now go from that rock up to the discolored figure just above that That sir is a Tool hang in there I will show you more that tool has adjustments see the threaded rod on it with two nuts ? follow the discolored part until you see a half inch open end wrench now go back down hill to the end of the discolored object look close there is a chain next to the opening and the other side of the chain there are parts to something. If you were at the object you call a meteorite look to the metal plate just above it and there are bolts on that plate. Trust me and see my F B page . Very important
If that's meteorite shouldn't it be a place in the ground where it fell From the sky just saying
Must be nice to be able to count the number of brain cells you have on one hand.
Load More Replies...Curiosity's Color View Of Martian Dune After Crossing It
Martian Rock 'Harrison' In Color, Showing Crystals
Curiosity's Dusty Selfie At Duluth
Jake Matijevic Rock
There’s a lot going on here - and a lot has happened here. Look it up! It’s not just another rock. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_Matijevic_(rock)
Multiple Layers Of Mount Sharp
First Sampling Hole In Mount Sharp
Curiosity Took Dozens Of Mast Cam Images To Complete This Mosaic Of A Petrified Sand Dune
Remnants Of Ancient Streambed On Mars
Outcrop In The Murray Buttes Region Of Lower Mount Sharp
Am I the only one Sphinx in the bottom right of the rocks? Certainly amazing formations!
Mount Sharp Comes In Sharply
Curiosity Self-Portrait At Martian Sand Dune
Curiosity Visited An Area Named "Fracture Town" Which Contains Many Pointed, Layered Rock Formations
Having Reached The Base Of Mount Sharp, Curiosity Captured This Image Of Its Rocky Surroundings
Wheel Scuff Mark At 'Rocknest'
Focusing The 100-Millimeter Mastcam
@Chrsty, Why must everything be "useful" to humanity, and all things which are not "useful" be ignored and declared useless? Stop asking "What can this do for me?" and start asking "What can I learn from this?"
Curiosity Arrived At This Active Sand Dune Named "Gobabeb", Which Is Part Of A Larger Dune Field Known As "Bagnold"
View From Mars Orbiter Showing Curiosity Rover At 'Shaler'
Mars Rover Curiosity In 'Buckskin' Selfie
Layers At The Base Of Mount Sharp
Getting To Know Mount Sharp
Curiosity Tracks In 'Hidden Valley' On Mars
Curiosity Rover's View Of Alluring Martian Geology
Curiosity Self-Portrait At 'Windjana' Drilling Site
A Mudstone Rock Outcrop At The Base Of Mount Sharp
Bone Up On Mars Rock Shapes
Strata At Base Of Mount Sharp
Absolutely huge amount of sedimentary rocks on Mars. Such abundance could only form if there had been a vast amount of water on the surface. Differential erosion suggests that sedimentation was episodic. Studying similar photos in the past, I have proposed that Mars experiences "atmosphere ages", not unlike Earth's "ice ages", whereby the orbit of Mars moves into a sustained pattern permitting huge quantities of CO2 ice to sublimate into the atmosphere, raising the atmospheric pressure above the triple point for water to exist in liquid form. The subsequent greenhouse effect then begins melting subsurface water ice, filling the basins, and beginning anew another episode of erosion and sedimentation.
Resistant Features In 'Pahrump Hills' Outcrop
Note: this post originally had 44 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
It is ASTONISHING to comprehend the task of capturing these images. Just how far away the planet is, just how much work it takes to hit one moving target...FROM another moving target, and get a safe landing, and then sending the information back and forth to a planet that up until very, very, very recently was a DOT. In all of human history, consciousness and impact, Mars was a dot, and nothing more. Now it's a new frontier. For all we lament about what humans seem to be mostly doing these days, consider what they can actually still do when they are passionate, determined and cooperative. Consider how relatively little time there was between leaving earth's orbit and getting our creations on Mars. Within one lifetime we have gone from merely airborne to interplanetary travelers. We have proven that we are utterly limitless. Whenever you feel that you are but a tiny, insignificant morsel of population, always remember that a fraction of infinity is itself, infinite.
Great comment Troux. It’s almost crazy to believe that we are capable of receiving images from another planet of all places which is so far away. It makes me curious about the signals we receive everyday which we stamped as “intuition”. Someone somewhere, is in contact with us but we just haven’t advanced far enough to find out who.
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I think it is hilarious reading the comments and being able to immediately pick out the conspiracy theorists who don't believe this is real. I mean, I have my theories and I believe 100% that the government (any government) lies to us all. But THIS? Naw, we can prove we went to the moon, and I am certain that there is a way to prove we went to Mars, even though I do not know it yet.
So much of the images remind me of the American Southwest, especially areas that once were covered by an inland sea. We can easily see how much Mars parallels large areas of Earth in geological similarities.
I'm really interested in solar system exploration, but I find myself utterly underwhelmed by these photos. They're just greyish brownish rocks. Sure, it's amazing that we got the Rover there, and an incredible feat of human ingenuity that we are able to get any photos at all, so yes it's amazing that we have the photos... but still the photos themselves are not amazing. They're just photos of rocks.
I love this! Has Curiosity gone up the Mars poles yet? I wonder what those look like up close
I like this page very much.THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT INFORMATION !
Wonder if this is what Earth will look like after we finish destroying it.
https://www.universetoday.com/122883/why-dont-we-see-the-curiosity-rovers-arm-when-it-takes-a-selfie/
As if the earth hasn't shrunk enough with social media, now mars feels like it's not that far now, either. It's so "earth like". Not sure what I was expecting though. I suppose I was looking for something alien and unfamiliar.
It is alien and unfamiliar to most people living in big cities.
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Almost untouched by human kind. A serene beautiful place, but so damned inhospitable . . . Look forward to pictures taken at the poles and inside lava tunes . . .
Where's the arm the holds the camera for the selfies? I'm not saying they're not real but how were the selfies taken? Invisible camera support, a floating wireless drone maybe? The extending arm to the selfie camera is not visible anywhere.
It's a composite photo, people! They basically take multiple photos from different angles and crop the arm out so you can actually see the rover.
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Conspiracy theorists are the worst (unless, of course, there's a real conspiracy going on, but ykwim)
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Now I know why they tested the rovers on Atacama desert, looks the same.
Always want to test equipment in similar environments if possible.
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It is ASTONISHING to comprehend the task of capturing these images. Just how far away the planet is, just how much work it takes to hit one moving target...FROM another moving target, and get a safe landing, and then sending the information back and forth to a planet that up until very, very, very recently was a DOT. In all of human history, consciousness and impact, Mars was a dot, and nothing more. Now it's a new frontier. For all we lament about what humans seem to be mostly doing these days, consider what they can actually still do when they are passionate, determined and cooperative. Consider how relatively little time there was between leaving earth's orbit and getting our creations on Mars. Within one lifetime we have gone from merely airborne to interplanetary travelers. We have proven that we are utterly limitless. Whenever you feel that you are but a tiny, insignificant morsel of population, always remember that a fraction of infinity is itself, infinite.
Great comment Troux. It’s almost crazy to believe that we are capable of receiving images from another planet of all places which is so far away. It makes me curious about the signals we receive everyday which we stamped as “intuition”. Someone somewhere, is in contact with us but we just haven’t advanced far enough to find out who.
Load More Replies... I think it is hilarious reading the comments and being able to immediately pick out the conspiracy theorists who don't believe this is real. I mean, I have my theories and I believe 100% that the government (any government) lies to us all. But THIS? Naw, we can prove we went to the moon, and I am certain that there is a way to prove we went to Mars, even though I do not know it yet.
So much of the images remind me of the American Southwest, especially areas that once were covered by an inland sea. We can easily see how much Mars parallels large areas of Earth in geological similarities.
I'm really interested in solar system exploration, but I find myself utterly underwhelmed by these photos. They're just greyish brownish rocks. Sure, it's amazing that we got the Rover there, and an incredible feat of human ingenuity that we are able to get any photos at all, so yes it's amazing that we have the photos... but still the photos themselves are not amazing. They're just photos of rocks.
I love this! Has Curiosity gone up the Mars poles yet? I wonder what those look like up close
I like this page very much.THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT INFORMATION !
Wonder if this is what Earth will look like after we finish destroying it.
https://www.universetoday.com/122883/why-dont-we-see-the-curiosity-rovers-arm-when-it-takes-a-selfie/
As if the earth hasn't shrunk enough with social media, now mars feels like it's not that far now, either. It's so "earth like". Not sure what I was expecting though. I suppose I was looking for something alien and unfamiliar.
It is alien and unfamiliar to most people living in big cities.
Load More Replies... Almost untouched by human kind. A serene beautiful place, but so damned inhospitable . . . Look forward to pictures taken at the poles and inside lava tunes . . .
Where's the arm the holds the camera for the selfies? I'm not saying they're not real but how were the selfies taken? Invisible camera support, a floating wireless drone maybe? The extending arm to the selfie camera is not visible anywhere.
It's a composite photo, people! They basically take multiple photos from different angles and crop the arm out so you can actually see the rover.
Load More Replies... Conspiracy theorists are the worst (unless, of course, there's a real conspiracy going on, but ykwim)
Load More Replies... Now I know why they tested the rovers on Atacama desert, looks the same.
Always want to test equipment in similar environments if possible.
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