30 Best Photos That NASA's 'Curiosity Rover' Has Been Taking Over The Past 7 Years
R.I.P. Curiosity Rover
Curiosity has spent more than a decade sending back some of the most striking views of Mars, and the results still look unreal. From dusty dunes to layered cliffs, the rover has turned a remote planet into a place people can actually picture.
NASA launched Curiosity in 2011, and it landed in Gale Crater on August 6, 2012. What was supposed to be a 687-day mission kept going far beyond that, giving scientists a long-running look at Martian terrain, rocks, and ancient landscapes.
These are some of the best images Curiosity has captured along the way, and a few of them are hard to believe came from another planet.
"Ripples On Surface Of Martian Sand Dune"
NASA"Sunset Sequence In Mars' Gale Crater"
NASA"Curiosity Rover Finds And Examines A Meteorite On Mars"
NASA
"Curiosity's Color View Of Martian Dune After Crossing It"
NASA
"Martian Rock 'Harrison' In Color, Showing Crystals"
NASA
"Curiosity's Dusty Selfie At Duluth"
NASA
"Jake Matijevic Rock"
NASA
Curiosity kept finding new details in the landscape.
"Multiple Layers Of Mount Sharp"
NASA
"First Sampling Hole In Mount Sharp"
NASA
"Curiosity Took Dozens Of Mast Cam Images To Complete This Mosaic Of A Petrified Sand Dune"
marscuriosity
"Remnants Of Ancient Streambed On Mars"
NASA
"Outcrop In The Murray Buttes Region Of Lower Mount Sharp"
NASA
Mount Sharp
NASA
"Curiosity Self-Portrait At Martian Sand Dune"
NASA
The rover's route only got more interesting from here.
Speaking of extreme environments, this is like Professor Brian Cox risking toxic dangers inside Cueva de Villa Luz.
"Curiosity Visited An Area Named 'Fracture Town' Which Contains Many Pointed, Layered Rock Formations"
marscuriosity
"Having Reached The Base Of Mount Sharp, Curiosity Captured This Image Of Its Rocky Surroundings"
marscuriosity
"Wheel Scuff Mark At 'Rocknest'"
NASA
"Focusing The 100-Millimeter Mastcam"
NASA
"Curiosity Arrived At This Active Sand Dune Named 'Gobabeb', Which Is Part Of A Larger Dune Field Known As 'Bagnold'"
marscuriosity
Mars keeps showing off in every direction.
"View From Mars Orbiter Showing Curiosity Rover At 'Shaler'"
NASA
"Mars Rover Curiosity In 'Buckskin' Selfie"
NASA
"Layers At The Base Of Mount Sharp"
NASA
"Getting To Know Mount Sharp"
NASA
"Curiosity Tracks In 'Hidden Valley' On Mars"
NASA
"Curiosity Rover's View Of Alluring Martian Geology"
NASA
"Curiosity Self-Portrait At 'Windjana' Drilling Site"
NASA
"A Mudstone Rock Outcrop At The Base Of Mount Sharp"
marscuriosity
"Bone Up On Mars Rock Shapes"
NASA
"Strata At Base Of Mount Sharp"
NASA
"Resistant Features In 'Pahrump Hills' Outcrop"
NASA
Curiosity's photo log is still one of NASA's best long-running showcases.
After seeing Curiosity’s toxic cave discoveries, you’ll want to read what Professor Brian Cox faced in Cueva de Villa Luz.
