Curiosity's Selfie - August 2015

Named “Curiosity,” the latest Mars rover arrived at the red planet on August 6, 2012. It landed within Gale Crater, an area rich with water-related deposits. The rover is examining and collecting soil and rock samples. Its onboard laboratory is then analyzing the samples in the hope of finding the chemical building blocks of life.

During its first year, it discovered evidence of an ancient lake environment, favorable for microbial life, within an area called “Yellow Knife Bay.” During its second year, it drove toward Mount Sharp, a major science destination, and explored the landscape along the way. During its third year, it reached Mount Sharp and proceeded to investigate its lower slopes. In its fourth year, Curiosity is continuing its climb up the mountain.

The “selfie” was created using several images taken by the MAHLI camera on the rover’s arm on August 5, 2015. The arm isn’t in the image.