The Curiosity Mars rover may not move very fast, with a maximum speed of just 0.1 mph, but it covers a significant amount of ground on the Red Planet. A recent photo taken by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter offers a fascinating look at the rover’s journey so far this year, capturing the tracks left behind by Curiosity as it traveled from its previous science target, the Gediz Vallis channel, to its next destination. In the image, the rover appears as a tiny speck at the front of the approximately 1,050-foot-long trail. This snapshot is believed to be the first orbital image of the rover mid-drive on Mars.
The photo was captured on February 28 by the orbiter’s HiRISE (High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) camera, showcasing Curiosity’s movement over 11 drives since the beginning of the month. While it may seem surprising that tire tracks can remain visible in the Martian dirt for weeks, NASA explains that this is normal for the planet. The tracks are expected to last for months before being erased by wind. Curiosity is on track to reach its next science destination in the coming weeks, an area believed to contain formations created long ago by groundwater.
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