Mars Rover Curiosity Photos (November 2012-March 2013)

Windblown Sand from the 'Rocknest' Drift

The Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity acquired close-up views of sands in the "Rocknest" wind drift to document the nature of the material that the rover scooped, sieved and delivered to the Chemistry and Mineralogy Experiment (CheMin) and the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) in October and November 2012. The picture on the left shows some of the variety of coarse sand grains observed on a portion of the Rocknest wind drift. The picture on the right shows a magnified view of the fraction of smaller sand grains examined by Curiosity. Image released Dec. 3, 2012.

Veins in 'Sheepbed' Outcrop

This image of an outcrop at the "Sheepbed" locality, taken by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover with its right Mast Camera (Mastcam), shows show well-defined veins filled with whitish minerals, interpreted as calcium sulfate. Image released Jan. 15, 2013.

Veins in Rocks on Mars and Earth

This set of images shows the similarity of sulfate-rich veins seen on Mars by NASA's Curiosity rover to sulfate-rich veins seen on Earth. Image released Jan. 15, 2013.

Curiosity Rover Uses Brush on Mars

This image from the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity shows the patch of rock cleaned by the first use of the rover's Dust Removal Tool (DRT). The rover brushed the rock clean on Jan. 6, 2013. [Full Story]

Martian Rock Brushed Clean: Curiosity Close-Up

This image from the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity shows details of rock texture and color in an area where the rover's Dust Removal Tool (DRT) brushed away dust that was on the rock. Image taken on Jan. 6, 2013. [Full Story]

Snake River Rock on Mars by Curiosity

The sinuous rock feature in the lower center of this mosaic of images recorded by the NASA Mars rover Curiosity is called "Snake River." Image taken Dec. 20, 2012.

Mars 'Flower' Photo by Curiosity Rover (Wide)

This image shows the full photo from Mars rover Curiosity of a strange transparent feature on a rock, which some have nicknamed a "flower." It appears at lower left. Image taken Dec. 19, 2012. Read the Full Story

Curiosity's 'Rocknest' Workplace

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover documented itself in the context of its work site, an area called "Rocknest Wind Drift," on the 84th Martian day, or sol, of its mission (Oct. 31, 2012). Image released Dec. 3, 2012.

Mars 'Flower' Photo by Curiosity Rover

This photo from the Mars rover Curiosity is a close-up of a transparent rock feature that some have dubbed a "flower." A NASA spokesman has said it appears to be part of the rock. Image taken Dec. 19, 2012. Read the Full Story

Mars Rover Portrait: Stunt Double

This self-portrait of NASA's Mars rover Curiosity shows the rover's stunt double on Earth at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. Scientists used the test rover to check photo instructions for Curiosity's full self-portrait on Mars. Image released Dec. 11, 2012.