Curiosity Rover Beams Down Stunning Self-Portrait Panorama from Mars

When the Mars Rover Opportunity was nearing its 9th year in the Martian sun, we shared a beautiful panoramic landscape shot of the red planet taken by the aging rover. It makes sense then that Curiosity would eventually send down a panorama of its own. But just like you would expect from a younger generation of rover, it couldn’t help but make the pano a selfie.

In all seriousness, the portrait is gorgeous. Taken in the Yellowknife Bay region of Mars’ Gale Crater, it shows the rover perched on a flat pedestal know as “John Klein.” And if you look closely, you can even see the results of Curiosity’s first drilling activity a few inches in front of its front left tire.

It’s worth noting that Curiosity didn’t have to set up a tripod and figure out the self-timer on its camera in order to take this picture. It was taken with the same Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) and Mastcam that we’ve seen before. And just like in the last selfie Curiosity send down, the robotic arm has been left out.

You can (and should) check out the full res version by clicking on the photo at the top.