The rover took 142 360-degree shots with the high-definition cameras installed on its mast.
Posted
Update
Reading time : 1 min.
A desert landscape. NASA released on Wednesday February 24 a spectacular panoramic photo of Mars taken by Perseverance in the area where the rover landed last week. The photo, reconstructed from several photos taken by the vehicle, shows the crest of Jezero crater, which scientists say contained a deep lake into which a river flowed about 3.5 billion years ago.
The rover took 142 360-degree shots with the high-definition cameras installed on its mast. “We are installed on a very good site, from where you can see characteristics very similar to those found by Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity [trois rovers ayant précédé Perseverance sur la planète rouge] on their landing zone “, said Jim Bell of the University of Arizona.
I’m taking it all in. This is the first 360º view of my home using Mastcam-Z. This dual, high-definition camera system sits atop my mast and has zoom capability. Inspect tiny details of Jezero Crater with the special interactive viewer at https://t.co/roDhWK56gj #CountdownToMars pic.twitter.com/TAy28PpG73
– NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) February 24, 2021
The American space agency has the explicit goal of finding traces of ancient life on the red planet, by collecting for at least two years up to thirty rock samples.
Perseverance cameras will help scientists determine the geological history and atmospheric conditions of the crater, and identify rocks and sediments that will be collected before being transported to Earth on a future mission, scheduled for the 2030s.
NASA had already released Monday two exceptional documents captured by its rover, a spectacular video of its landing recorded from all angles, and the sound of a gust of Martian wind, the first audio recorded on the red planet by a microphone.
