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MRO - MSL Landing Site Image (Color)
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All Photos: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
>>>HiRISE MSL Updates
Enhanced-Color View of Curiosity's Landing Site
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter followed up to its 'Crime Scene' Image of Curiosity's Landing Site. The HiRISE Instrument of the orbiter has acquired a color view of the landing site. This is an enhanced-color version that is used to characterize the geological features in Curiosity's vicinity. This color enhancement brings out subtle differences of surface features. The full-swath image shows that the landing region is not as diverse as the area to the south, closer to Mount Sharp where Curiosity's main science targets are located. The blue colors in the image appear gray in reality with the dark blue colors likely representing surface material of basaltic origin. In the lower portion of the full frame, the dark dune fields lying between Curiosity and Mount Sharp are visible. Around the Rover, the blast pattern from the Mars Landing Engines appears in blue colors. Taking a very close look at Curiosity, the indication of the shadow of the Remote Sensing Mast can be seen. The MRO image was acquired at an angle of 30 degrees from straight down, looking west. The scale of the image cut-out is 31 centimeters per pixel.
Longer Swath
Click for high-resolution Version
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