The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) posted a panoramic photo of Mars captured by the Curiosity rover's Mast Camera, or MastCam, which serves as the main eyes of the rover. The scientists stitched 122 images together on November 18 last year on the 2,946th sol of the Curiosity rover's mission.
At the center of the panorama is the Gale Crater's floor, the 96-mile-wide bowl located within Mount Sharp. It also showcases the north crater rim on the horizon, while on its right is Mount Sharp's upper part that has rock layers that scientists believed were shaped by lakes ad streams from billions of years ago when the red planet still has water.
According to Phys.org, the curved rock terraces defined the layers of rock on the slope. The harder layers of the small cliffs were formed when the softer layers of the rock eroded, which leaves the bench-like formations.
Besides, these can also form during a landslide as huge curved slabs of bedrock slide downhill. Astronomers have already seen similar benches before n Gale Crater, but they said it is rare to see such a scenic grouping of steps.
"Our science team is excited to figure out how they formed and what they mean for the ancient environment within Gale," said Ashwin Vasavada of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California, the Curiosity rover's project scientist. JPL built and managed the Curiosity rover.
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In Honor of Mary Anning
After taking the panorama at Mount Sharp, the Curiosity rover is off the higher ground. In 2020, the Curiosity rover also drove across the clay-bearing region called Glen Torridon and at the pit stop named "Mary Anning" before it continues to the next major layer, which is the sulfate-bearing unit.
The rover's last selfie was on Sol 2922, wherein it dug three holes on the rock slab. The first two holes were named in honor of Mary Anning, the 19th-century paleontologist who found prehistoric fossils in southwest England's seaside cliffs. Her findings have contributed to the understanding of Earth's prehistoric marine life.
The BBC reported that the materials drilled in the holes would be used for two wet chemistry experiments to extract organic molecules preserved in the rock.
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