Exploring Mars is no longer limited to robotic rovers. Anyone can get a 360-degree look at the fourth planet from the sun courtesy of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
The video, which was captured by the Curiosity Mars rover, is accessible on the YouTube smartphone app. Viewers can watch the landscape move and by moving their phone in different directions, they can change their view. Those using a web browser have the option to click-and-drag an image.
Use your smart phone to explore Mars with me in 360 degrees. #FromWhereIStand
Posted by NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover on Saturday, January 30, 2016
The footage shows Namib Dune, which is part of the planet’s Bagnold Dunes on the northwestern side of Mount Sharp. The experience was created by piecing together images from the rover taken on Dec. 18 from a Mastcam.
The video was first released on Facebook, but glitches created a warped view of the panoramic image. The version released this week is an upgrade that provides a cleaner user experience.
Curiosity Mars has been on the second smallest planet in our solar system since August 2012. The rover has managed to detect methane, find liquid water, and send over samples for analysis on Earth. Last year, the car-sized, nuclear powered explorer took a selfie from a research site, called the Mojave . To be fair, the six-wheeled robot did not take a selfie on its own, as NASA compiled dozens of images from the camera at the end of the rover's robotic arm to complete the jigsaw pieces of the mosaic-like selfie.
"The scene combines dozens of images taken during January 2015 by the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) camera at the end of the rover's robotic arm," explains NASA on its website. "The pale "Pahrump Hills" outcrop surrounds the rover, and the upper portion of Mount Sharp is visible on the horizon. Darker ground at upper right and lower left holds ripples of wind-blown sand and dust."
