We're on Mars yet again!

Posted by David Brooks | Monday, August 6, 2012

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(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech) This is one of the first images taken by NASA's Curiosity rover, taken through a "fisheye" wide-angle lens on the left "eye" of a stereo pair of Hazard-Avoidance cameras on the left-rear side of the rover. The image is one-half of full resolution. The clear dust cover that protected the camera during landing has been sprung open. Part of the spring that released the dust cover can be seen at the bottom right, near the rover's wheel. On the top left, part of the rover's power supply is visible. Some dust appears on the lens even with the dust cover off. The cameras are looking directly into the sun, so the top of the image is saturated. The lines across the top are an artifact called "blooming" that occurs in the camera's detector because of the saturation. Larger color images from other cameras are expected later in the week when the rover's mast, carrying high-resolution cameras, is deployed.

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>"Curiosity" is a great name for the new rover - much better than the pseudo-heroic monikers which don't-cut-our-budget-please NASA tends to use. It describes the true motivation behind almost all scientific and exploratory accomplishments.

AP: Curiosity lands, starts to transmit

The Joy of Tech cartoon has a good Curiosity comic today.