NASA's Mars Curiosity rover shares new panoramic view of Red Planet

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This panorama, made up of 81 individual images stitched together, was taken by the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on Nov. 20, 2021, which was the 3,303rd Martian day, or sol, of the rover's mission.
This panorama, made up of 81 individual images stitched together, was taken by the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on Nov. 20, 2021, which was the 3,303rd Martian day, or sol, of the rover's mission. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)

NASA's Curiosity rover snapped a stunning new selfie surrounded by expansive, rocky terrain on Mars. 

The robotic explorer, which landed on Mars in August 2012, continues to roam Gale Crater in search of evidence that the Red Planet was once habitable. The Curiosity rover is famous for taking selfies along its journey, and its latest snapshot offers a stunning view of two landmarks: a rock formation called Greenheugh Pediment to the left, behind the rover, and a hill called Rafael Navarro Mountain in the middle right of the photo. 

Curiosity snapped its latest 360-degree selfie on Nov. 20, which was the 3,303rd Martian day, or sol, of the rover's mission. The panorama, made up of 81 individual images stitched together, was taken by the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), located at the end of the rover's robotic arm, according to a statement from NASA. 

Related: Amazing Mars photos by NASA's Curiosity rover 

NASA shared both a wide and up-close view of Curiosity's latest selfie on Nov. 29, showcasing the beautiful landscape of Mars with the sun shining in the sky. The image highlights the red rust color of the Martian surface, along with the varied and rugged terrain surrounding the rover. 

The photo also captures a view of Mount Sharp — the 3.4-mile-tall (5.5 kilometers) mountain that Curiosity has been driving up since 2014. The rover has been traversing Mount Sharp looking for clues about the Red Planet's ancient past, in particular when the relatively warm and wet world transitioned to the cold desert it is today.

This panorama, made up of 81 individual images stitched together, was taken by the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on Nov. 20, 2021, which was the 3,303rd Martian day, or sol, of the rover's mission.  (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)
Related stories:

— NASA's Mars Curiosity rover snaps scenic selfie at 'Mont Mercou' (photo)
— See Mars like never before in this highest-resolution panorama ever from the Curiosity rover
— NASA's Curiosity rover snaps stunning selfie on Mars (photo) 

Curiosity previously photographed Mars' Rafael Navarro Mountain in April 2021, at which time the hill was named after a former astrobiologist, Rafael Navarro-González, who worked on the mission until he passed away on Jan. 26. Around the same time in April, the rover ascended Greenheugh Pediment and captured a view from the top of the rock formation. 

Now, Curiosity is headed toward a narrow passageway called Maria Gordon Notch, which is the U-shaped opening captured behind the rover to the left in the photo. 

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Samantha Mathewson
Samantha Mathewson
Contributing Writer

Samantha Mathewson joined Space.com as an intern in the summer of 2016. She received a B.A. in Journalism and Environmental Science at the University of New Haven, in Connecticut. Previously, her work has been published in Nature World News. When not writing or reading about science, Samantha enjoys traveling to new places and taking photos! You can follow her on Twitter @Sam_Ashley13.