Mars Rover Reveals More Of Martian Peak - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

NBCNEWS.COM - Newly received images from NASA's Curiosity rover are filling out the high-resolution view of its surroundings at Gale Crater on Mars — and providing an up-close look at the six-wheeled craft's nuclear power source. But there are even more impressive vistas yet to come.

Some of the new imagery was actually taken by Curiosity's Mastcam color camera more than a week ago, on Aug. 8-9, also known as Sol 3 of Curiosity's mission. It didn't take long for the rover to transmit 130 low-resolution thumbnails, each measuring 144 by 144 pixels. Those were assembled and released as a 360-degree panorama on Aug. 9. But the high-resolution versions, at 1,200 pixels square, have taken a lot longer to send back. Today's additions to the jigsaw puzzle include pictures of the layered rock on the flank of a 3-mile-high (5 kilometer-high) mountain known Aeolis Mons or Mount Sharp. click here to read more