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image credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, MSSS -- panorama: Andrew Bodrov



on sol 1943 of its journey of exploration across the surface of Mars, the Curiosity Rover recorded this selfie at the south rim of Vera Rubin Ridge

of course a sol is a Martian solar day, about 40 minutes longer than an Earth day

Curiosity's sol 1943 corresponds to Earth date january 23, 2018

also composed as an interactive 360 degree VR, the mosaicked panorama combines 61 exposures taken by the car-sized rover's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI)

frames containing the imager's arm have been edited out while the extended background used was taken by the rover's Mastcam on sol 1903

at the top of the rover's mast, sitting above the Mastcam, the laser-firing ChemCam housing blocks out the distant peak of Mount Sharp


































in apod.nasa.gov/apod